What is up with this console generation?

[Not G. Ivingname]

This is possibly the strangest console generation in history. Before, it is always been, "My pixels have more colors then your pixels," "I have more bits then you," "I can render more tiny brain fragments flying out of a skull then you can." It's always been about how good it looked. After the introduction of the Playstation, game developers that made consoles looked like it was going to die off, and it looked like the wii would be Nintendo's Dreamcast. Game consoles have been running faster and faster towards realism, trying to make everything as good as it can. Then a weird thing happened. The Wii got on top. It got on top, and it beat the other two with worse graphics, horrible online support, and the dumbest name in gaming history (even the Gizmando doesn't sound like a body fluid). All the Wii had was the ability to waggle. Somehow, this has every mom, grandparent, girl, child, and goldfish a gamer. Casual, yes, but a gamer none the less. This success has forced the "Big Boys" to shamelessly copy the wii while making the players look even dumber (should I wave these lightbulbs or wave my hands around randomly?). The only other time the industry has shifted like this was when the Playstation was brought on, and gaming went straight towards brown and "mature" gaming. This generation has been less about the graphics, and more on how you actually play the games. Why did this happen?

 

[Mr.Pandah]

...Why not?

Why should gaming companies simply strive to look better than eachother? You know how much time, money, and effort it takes for games to simply look good? Then there is so much else to work on. The fact that the Wii games are cheaper to make, and appeal to such a huge audience is just how business works. You do what makes you money. Its always been about having better graphics because that is all game companies thought they could do. Now we've gotten to a point where it isn't worth it to squeeze out that last pixel onto the screen, but instead to actually innovate and move forward in different directions.

I personally am one for all of this innovation, it may not exactly be what I want, but it is a breath of fresh air.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

This is possibly the strangest console generation in history. Before, it is always been, "My pixels have more colors then your pixels," "I have more bits then you," "I can render more tiny brain fragments flying out of a skull then you can." It's always been about how good it looked. After the introduction of the Playstation, game developers that made consoles looked like it was going to die off, and it looked like the wii would be Nintendo's Dreamcast. Game consoles have been running faster and faster towards realism, trying to make everything as good as it can. Then a weird thing happened. The Wii got on top. It got on top, and it beat the other two with worse graphics, horrible online support, and the dumbest name in gaming history (even the Gizmando doesn't sound like a body fluid). All the Wii had was the ability to waggle. Somehow, this has every mom, grandparent, girl, child, and goldfish a gamer. Casual, yes, but a gamer none the less. This success has forced the "Big Boys" to shamelessly copy the wii while making the players look even dumber (should I wave these lightbulbs or wave my hands around randomly?). The only other time the industry has shifted like this was when the Playstation was brought on, and gaming went straight towards brown and "mature" gaming. This generation has been less about the graphics, and more on how you actually play the games. Why did this happen?

Because it was the obvious step in gaming evolution compared to graphics realism. Next they'll work on a way to have force feed back. Like this.

 

[Penguinness]

I dunno, perhaps the same way that 7 or more years ago I remember people in my school laughing at people who went on computers too much, which then turned into everyone being on the computers going on MSN, Facebook and Myspace. I mean, MSN was alright.. but Facebook and Myspace... and now Twitter? What the shit is this.

I spose consoles just got the same boost, and new casual gamers all grasping their WiiFitness for their Wiis and their Allen Carr's How to give up smoking for their DSes. Now I suppose those who enjoyed some good games will now not get as many as many will turn to feeding the casual gamers with crap motion control games.

 

[Snarky Username]

Eee Gad! Gaming based on innovation instead of graphics?! Tell me it isn't so!

This was bound to happen after graphics went 3d. There's a point where graphics are so good across the board they just stop mattering. People find the graphics to be realistic enough to just pick up and play, and basically ignore them after that point. You may say the Wii graphics are bad, but compare them to N64 graphics or Gamecube graphics. Also, at least the Wii graphics look pretty realistic. After a certain point, most people find the graphics to look realistic enough and decide to go from the game with the shiniest graphics to the game that stands out. And the Wii stands out. Get used to it, it'll probably be this way as the quality of graphics are beginning to top off. Soon developers will have to focus on something else, like innovation.

 

[metalhead467]

I'd rather have my games based on innovation and gameplay than graphics.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Developers have probably hit the wall when it comes to graphical power for now. Sure games are going to keep getting a little prettier but innovation and gameplay are what's really important to gamers right now. When was the last time you bought a game and thought of the graphics as one of the major selling points? Every game looks great now so graphics don't sell products. These new motion controls and gameplay innovation are new and exciting to a lot of people, so developers are shifting their focus to this.

While I'm not big on motion controls myself, I do appreciate the efforts developers are making to innovate what we are all so used to.

 

[Kagim]

Its a somewhat cheaper casual gaming system that opened a world of gaming who normally wouldn't touch them. It's really popular because it got the attention of tons of people who never thought to play games ever. I completely understand why it's so popular.

While personally i think its a gimmicky load of crap that's probably because its not the kind of console that was made for me. I like my FPS and RPG's and Action games the way they are and have no desire to bounce up and down and flail about. Up until the announcement of the PS3 Move I felt that Sony knew its client base and instead of building a system around a gimmick they just included it as a feature.

Now i kinda feel like they have no idea what i like and hope the PS3 move goes the way of the PS2 eye.

 

[AdamRBi]

Graphics and Gameplay are just tools to aid in the enjoyment of a concept, scenario, and/or story dreamed up by artists. Striving for better and better graphics got a bit out of hand and seemingly took over that. We've nearly reached the plato on what technology can do in terms of graphics, and I don't think that's going to stop being a goal any time soon. Lots of gamers are too focused on the graphics to let it go out of style any time soon.

If we have transitioned to Gameplay Variations now it'll probably be short lived. This happened back in the beginning when 8-bit was the best we could do. We had Joysticks, Wheels, and Sliders before Nintendo bought out the Directional Pad; but once people settled in to a standard controller setup (4-6 buttons and a D-Pad, then later with 1 then 2 Analog Sticks) it was back to Graphic Buffing.

Hopefully once the Industry settles on a new controller standard and graphics takes it's last big push we can finally have developers competing over something else, like better IPs and Style.

That is until Virtual Reality comes along and the process starts all over again.

Now i kinda feel like they have no idea what i like and hope the PS3 move goes the way of the PS2 eye.

To be fair, they never made it for you. A console should never cater to one type of gamer, that's the game's job.

They open their console up to more games, the better off more people and developers are.

 

[Kanodin0]

Their is a link I can give you that will answer every one of your questions if you bother to read it all, though I fear you won't like the answer you receive. http://malstrom.50webs.com/ I warn you now his articles all together are quite long and can at times be pretentious but I am quite sure he's right. edit oh and you should start with the blue ocean articles and work your way up from there.

 

[Manji187]

Their is a link I can give you that will answer every one of your questions if you bother to read it all, though I fear you won't like the answer you receive. http://malstrom.50webs.com/ I warn you now his articles all together are quite long and can at times be pretentious but I am quite sure he's right. edit oh and you should start with the blue ocean articles and work your way up from there.

I'm glad I glanced upon your comment...what a wealth of information. Thanks.

 

[sketch_zeppelin]

yeah this cycle has been sort of a cluster fuck. It actually doesn't surprise me that the wii is pulling ahead. for a long time games were only for a neich population. like mabey one in 10 were a gamer but the wii is designed to be an experince (like a ride or playing sports) rather than a game. and the games are easily accessible to the general audiance so boom everyone is into it. It likely won't last for very long. Most casual gamers eventually move on to somthing else so i don't see the wii staying on top for long...that being said it will permantly change how games are made. there going to be more interactive and i think thats a good thing. games these days are getting dumber and dumber. yes there prettier but they're short stupid and usally the only thing they have going for them rather than looks is a single gimic.

 

[Arcane Azmadi]

*snipped*

You're saying all this like it's a BAD thing.

Thank GOD for Nintendo. They were the only company willing to investigate avenues other than "my mindless, shallow FPS looks shinier than yours (in a dirt-brown, lifeless "realistic" way)" for their new console. They have always been the best at innovation and creativity and they always will be.

Go on, call me a Nintendo fanboy if you like. Name me a game company that has had HALF as much influence on video gaming as Nintendo.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

*snipped*

You're saying all this like it's a BAD thing.

Thank GOD for Nintendo. They were the only company willing to investigate avenues other than "my mindless, shallow FPS looks shinier than yours (in a dirt-brown, lifeless "realistic" way)" for their new console. They have always been the best at innovation and creativity and they always will be.

Go on, call me a Nintendo fanboy if you like. Name me a game company that has had HALF as much influence on video gaming as Nintendo.

I am not, I prefer the big boy in the market is the one you have to get creative with to make things look good or the one that forces the developer to work on the gameplay to make up for the graphics. It is a much better time then the first major shift I mentioned, that led us to the swamp pit that is the brown, space marine filled, FPS central that is the modern game industry.

 

[Caenis]

The Wii made gaming approachable for non-gamers. Think about the typical PS3 or Xbox game lineup. Those games generally assume you know something about gaming, or have played that particular type of game before. If you play online multiplayer, PS3 and Xbox folks have little patience for "Noobs". The Wii, however, provides family friendly games with a gentle learning curve and attracts people who otherwise might be scared to get started.

I don't own a Wii and have no interest in owning one, but I get why it's gotten to where it is. And if Sony and Microsoft are copying the Wii in any way, I believe it's probably a smart move on their part.

 

[Caenis]

unspecicifiedstan

OT: I love that.

 

[CK76]

Diminishing returns on upgrading graphics to cover up lack of real innovation in games. Games are supposed to be an experience one enjoys, not counting stats of system requirements.

 

[Caliostro]

Because graphics have hit a plateau, essentially. We're way past the point of diminishing returns, where you need ungodly amounts of cash just to make a tiny graphical improvement. And honestly, I'm glad for it. Games look pretty enough already, let's focus on gameplay and history.

Can't say I'm to happy about the whole "motion sensing" trend. First the lack of physical feedback makes it kinda suck balls, and second it has been so horribly applied that it's scary. The Wii is a complete waste of space, but people will buy it for the same reason they buy dross trash like Twilight or The Transformers movies... I'll let you figure that one out.

Because it was the obvious step in gaming evolution compared to graphics realism. Next they'll work on a way to have force feed back. Like this.

That already exists. It's the Novint Falcon.

 

[DarkHourPrince]

Movement innovations are also good for games like Okami where, sure you can paint with the controller analog stick but for some people the ability to actually paint the symbols might help draw them in more, or the sword-slashing in No More Heroes or whatever. Some people like the interactive feel to gaming as opposed to just being able to boast a rather impressive skill with button mashing. They might not all be good ideas, but if it gets people off this graphics-whoring train and back to what really matters, the gameplay itself, then I see no issue.

 

[SnowdensOfYesteryear]

Because some game-makers care more about at least attempting to do anything in the realm of innovation rather than polishing their graphics again and again?

While I'm not a big fan of the Wii, I can respect the attempt... though not the shovelware.