Console Gaming

[Extra Consideration]

Console Gaming

This week, MovieBob, Yahtzee, and James Portnow tackle the question: What's the current state of console gaming?

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[Korten12]

good read, does this mean we're getting more of this..?

 

[bobmus]

I approve of this.
Please make this weekly!

 

[Valagetti]

Hands up who fully agrees with Yahtzee, yet again.

 

[Villa Idiot]

More of this, please! An excellent and interesting read.

 

[i am not god]

Brilliant read, I'll be coming back to ponder over this more as well. Genuine goodness. Even Bi-weekly would be awesome. I might even see if they'll do a topic of mine.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

XBLA/PSN titles are well on there way to shaping the innovation on consoles. Smaller, digital, but still quality titles. PC has had this for awhile, and led to some genuine hits. But exposure to the larger console market can lead them to better funding to further drive their innovation.

The same can't be said for Wiiware, judging from the sales' figures I've seen. But the BitTrip games on it are amazing.

 

[ProtoChimp]

Can't read this right now. So this is why God invented the bookmark.

 

[LordofPurple]

Beautiful. Could not agree more with Yahtzee about the Wiimote controls. All they've ever done is hurt my wrist and frustrate me. But playing with an Xbox or Playstation controller means little to no physical distraction from the immersion you're trying to experience.

 

[Fearzone]

So it seemed there was some agreement here that consoles were flailing in a creative lull. For me consoles are a low-ball middle of the road gaming devices that are inferior to PCs for shooters and RTSs, and inferior to portables for just about everything else.

I don't think the primary threat to their continued success is their lack of innovation or the slow adaptation of motion controls, but the 3DS and the NGP. On portables we still see interesting design efforts in games, whose single-player experiences tend to last 60 hours, rather than 6.

My gaming PC remains a preferred internet browser to my iPhone, barely. My PS3 still makes a fine blu-ray player and PSN interface. My psp is what I've actually been playing games on lately, and it is pretty obvious we are seeing only the beginning of portable's potential.

 

[Warachia]

I agree with Yahtzee about the motion controls, I think a very large flaw in many of Bob's arguments, is that he believes everybody has the same opinion as him, and that people should take more risks, without looking at the other side of hte spectrum, in that some people can't afford more consoles/games and developers often can't afford for a game they toook a risk on to not sell well.

 

[Tactical Fugitive]

Cool. You guys should do a video talk show, with callers and all, discussing what's hot in the gaming world.

 

[SpaceMedarotterX]

I concur with the statement that the Wii-Mote has long since lost me as a viable controller.

First of all, Batteries, I like to game, I like to play games a lot and I like to take big breaks.

Why do I have to remove the batteries from my Wii-Mote or risk them going flat, which they oftend do? No other console I use suffers this issue, even the DS and PSP can be plugged into a wall.

Onto the topic of what makes it more immersive.

I believe in mind over matter, while I can imagine actions being performed, even at peek physical condition I can't perform them. It would certainly help prevent finger slip ups like selecting the 'Wait' option, but even Motion Controls don't fix this because I have to keep my arm level with the sensor and that is not a comfortable way to play.

 

[Harbinger_]

You know what? This was hands down the best thing I've read in a while. I'd love to see more.

 

[Irridium]

Will you be switching out contributors as time goes on? Maybe get some discussion with the dudes from LRR or perhaps Shamus Young?

Either way, this is very interesting, and I hope for more.

 

[Kapol]

Very, very interesting... I'm looking forward to seeing more of this. It seems like a good idea to get three fairly separate viewpoints and have them all discuss a subject with one another. Though I feel this one ended a bit quickly, with the end feeling fairly sudden. But then again, I've been getting that feeling from a lot of things on this site lately... videos and writing alike. Perhaps I just don't like the fact it has to end.

On the subject at hand though, I enjoyed hearing everyone's views on the matter. I think Yahtzee was right in the matter of the wii motions drawing people out of the immersion of the game, but to be fair, that's not what everyone plays every game for. But overall, I do think that the one with the best chance to actually do something great would be the Kinect. It takes away the controller completely, which means that there's one less interface to go through. While it would take a few games to get used to the idea that 'doing this equates to doing this' and it would require more thinking, I believe that it could lead to a level of immersion that would make it the best platform for gaming as a whole. Though I also think they should make controllers an option as well for Kinect games, for those who may not be able to use it or just don't want to.

As for what Moviebob said about the movie industry reaching a stale point, I think that's beginning to happen again. New ideas aren't selling very well, while movies that make the person watching it feel like they've seen it before are doing great. While I could go with the 'The King's Speech beating The Social Network argument,' I feel that's a bit unfair as The Social Network was a big money maker. Instead, I think the case of Scott Pilgrim is more appropriate, where it's a movie with an unusual artistic direction, story, and overall feel to it, it lost to movies that the audience knew they would like. The same could be said about the movie industry now as the game industry: people aren't willing to risk their money on anything they aren't sure about, so the new ideas don't make enough money to be worthwhile to the company. If it isn't already there, it seems to be heading that way at least.

But anyways, I meant to just stop and say I'm looking forward to more of this, and I ended up writing way too much. Dang you, internet!

 

[Rolling Beast]

I agree with Yahtzee when he says that motion controls aren't quite there yet, resulting in a less immersive experience. Also just give me a "run"-button and I'm ready to shoot/swordfight while being immersed and sitting on the couch. As long as I can do everything from there It'll enhance my gaming-experience in the right way. What my living-room lacks most - and I asume that goes for a lot of us - is space and in the end, that's what takes me out from a game-world the most.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

I approve of this.
Please make this weekly!

Seconded.

Also, not a single bashing of Halo, YAY!

I'd bay to see this stuff evry week, but I don't have money to pay you guys. I would if I did though.

 

[SoopaSte123]

Combining my 3 favorite escapist video personas into one entertaining article? Me likey very much.
Personally, I agree that console games have become too stagnant in their innovation, which saddens me since I much prefer console to pc.
I disagree with Bob said about the cursor for console games... with that you're morphing it into the pc, and you might as well game with that if you want that experience.
As far as motion controls go, I'm with Yahtzee on this one: more interference between brain and action. It's a pain.