Best and worst aspect of current gen gaming?

Xluna

For me the best aspect is seeing classic games being re-released on XBLA PSN and WII, often with updated graphics. HD and the fact that 3-D games are now approaching the same level of detail as 2-D games is another plus. Quality online game is great too, even if I only really use it for SF games. One more is the handheld consoles. Great range of JRPGs, excellent battery life etc. My biggest dissapointment is the lack of quality JRPGs on the home consoles-where's Suikoden VI,Grandia and D.Q on the home consoles?Overall I still think this is my favorite era in games since the Snes and mega drive.

EDIT. Just realised DQ 10 is being released for the Wii.

Captain Chaos

The worst would be addon DLC released a few weeks after a game. Stuff that was held back just to make extra cash.

Dumbing down of games is another. Take Morrowind as an example then look at Oblivion. Then Mass Effect 1 to ME2, Dragon Age is going down the same route. They are making games idiot proof now, very little thought needed to play them anymore.

There is little to no dedicated games anymore, all games these days hold you by the hand. Years ago you had to study the manual for a few minutes on the way home so you could play the game.

The Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon games have gone all mainstream from the tactical shooters they used to be on the PC and Xbox 1.

Today it's all fast paced over the top COD and Halo for the ADHD American kids that have a 3 second attention span. If something does not blow up or die every few seconds it won't sell anymore, it's sad.

Xluna

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Today it's all fast paced over the top COD and Halo for the ADHD American kids that have a 3 second attention span. If something does not blow up or die every few seconds it won't sell anymore, it's sad.

I've noticed that too. It's probably the reason why there's been no true sequel to Sim city 4-and the lack of turn based JRPGs.
DLC is another issue. For the amount of money I've paid for SFIV costumes I could have bought another full priced game. I had to though as I'm a SF fanatic.

Myrddin

Best aspect - Bigger games (more to explore etc), graphics to a point (in games where it matters, simulations etc), wireless controllers that work, media applications (dvd & blu ray functionality).

Worst aspect - sub standard hardware, on average games today are just rehashes of tried & tested formulae, lack in ingenuity, Sony.

o1s1n

EnterNow wrote: »

games today are just rehashes of tried & tested formulae, lack in ingenuity

That's it summed up for me really. I know in times gone passed we had say, **** loads of unoriginal platfomers for example, but games still seemed much more creative and willing to take bigger risks.

I think the main problem now is developers just have to invest way too much into games and they're afraid to do anything that won't guarantee success. It's just easier (and more financially secure) for them to go with tried and tested genres/themes/etc.

Saying that, I have really enjoyed some modern games like the two new Fallout releases. Although I did enjoy the older PC games just as much. And would still enjoy them just as much playing them today.

Xluna

Last game with originality I remember playing was Okami.

o1s1n

Just to add to that, one big thing I really miss from earlier games generations is the sheer excitement of upgrading to the next console. In my time I went from the Spectrum & 2600, to the NES, to the Megadrive & SNES, to the PS1, PS2 etc..there was such a leap between each console. The anticipation of what the new machine could do was amazing. Or even as a console gamer playing things like Duke Nukem 3D on my friends PC and being totally wowed.

Anything seems possible with hardware now. The magic has been lost.

Retr0gamer

I would kind of need the next generation of hardware to come along to really decide about this. People forget that the best software and groundbreaking games usually come at the end of a consoles life cycle.

Best aspects:

- Small downloadable games leading to an explosion in the indie sector

- Fighting game genre ressurection! Irelands fighting game community has been far and away the best game community I've ever belonged to.

- Handheld gaming. It's just been fantastic this generation. The DS is one of the greatest consoles ever with a huge selection of fantastic games. The PSP nowhere near as good but it's not a bad console either. Great games on it and it's getting a second wind lately.

- Demon's Souls. The game of this generation (well it might be minecraft) that shows that online functionality can be integrated to enhance a singleplayer game.

- Level 5 and Atlus. Keep churning out those fantastic RPGs because Square Enix sure aren't

- Friend lists.

- 2D gaming isn't dead and making a come back with NSMB, DKC Returns, countless indie games and the DS. Please make sure it never dies!

Worst aspects:

- Unreal engine making everything look the same

- Not enough chances being taken by big publishers meaning nearly every big budget game falls into one of about 5 genres

- Consolitis leading to the dumbing down of genres and a scarcity of hybrid RPG genre games like system shock 2 and deus ex. I'm all for simplification but not at the cost complexity

- Lack of japanese games on the major consoles. I've no problem withwestern games but I prefer the japanese sytle of over the top action married with a system that takes time to master.

- Monster Hunter and how every handheld game from japan seems to think that adding grinding makes it a better game.

- Shocking build quality of consoles. Sure the PS1 and PS2 were probably as bad but there really should be an inquiry into justhow badly built the 360 and PS3 are and also consumer rights vialations that stores are commiting by not accepting broken consoles back because the warrantee is up. Of reasonable merchantible quality these consoles are not.

- DLC rapetime transactions. Give me the full game I payed for. I don't want to have to pay 10 euros extra to pay for levels you cut out of a game. On the PC you used to pay half the price of a full game for an expansion which would be the size and quality of the original game. Give me something substantial like that that actually required effort to make. Yes - Fallout 3 expansions, Undead expansion to RDR. No - paying for cut levels in Assassins Creed 2, paying for to unlock content already on the disc.

- Multiplayer Matchmaking. It doesn't work, I'm clever enough to choose my own server thank you very much.

- Lack of dedicated servers for console games. Leads to no community building and once a game is 3 months old the online community is dead. Also pings are terrible if the host machine connection is crap.

- Lack of split screen multiplayer. I don't care if the field of view is reduced and the framerate is terrible. I'd rather play with 4 mates in the same room than online. For all my bile towards Halo it at least does this and does it brilliantly.

Qwert1

Worst I would say are Microsoft getting involved and the whole motion-sensor control craze.
Only way games have improved for me really is in the graphics department.

K.O.Kiki

+Fighting games are back, and the communities they have built are stronger than ever.
-Actual arcades are dead.

+Online multiplayer!
-... is fraught with ping/host problems, and ragequitters.

+Indie games revolution, delivering innovative gameplay at rock-bottom prices.
-People will still pirate. Because they are bastards.

Jack burton

One thing I do like its using my xbox to chat to friends while playing games, I does enjoy that now!

nyarlothothep

Best aspects: graphics, a greater number of gameplay options afforded through better technology.

Worst aspects: A lack of style. This is very debatable but in my opinion, a lot of new games I've played are visually fairly forgettable. For example I will never forget the pentagram inspired Phobos Anomaly level in Doom, a lot of the graphical touches are just incredible at evoking a very menacing and scary atmosphere like that Zod lookalike carving on the walls of the later levels and the dead marine sprites. This would also apply to Quake, even though it was mostly brown it succeeded in conveying a very eldritch environment which serves the HP Lovecraft aspect well.

A lack of fun, too many 1-2 hour tutorials before I actually get playing the game, an over attention to reality, the real world isn't fun, I'm trying to escape it by playing games.

A decrease in humour, even in Doom or Quake there were a lot of funny moments and secrets like John Cormacks head on a stick or the Dank and Scuzz comic strip that you would put in the effort into discovering.

Music is kinda hit and miss. For example Brian Eno did a good soundtrack to Spore, the soundtrack to Mass Effect isn't bad either, Morrowind (2002) had some excellent music, but it just doesn't compare to what I still listen to, even if I'm not playing them eg Sega Rally, Doom, Quake, Virtua Cop etc.

Retr0gamer

Not sure I agree with the graphics statements either. I find with the introduction of shaders a lot of devleopers are over using them and making everything overly shiny and making everything look like it's constructed with plastic. It's DKC all over again!

Retr0gamer

Retr0gamer wrote: »

- DLC rapetime transactions. Give me the full game I payed for. I don't want to have to pay 10 euros extra to pay for levels you cut out of a game. On the PC you used to pay half the price of a full game for an expansion which would be the size and quality of the original game. Give me something substantial like that that actually required effort to make. Yes - Fallout 3 expansions, Undead expansion to RDR. No - paying for cut levels in Assassins Creed 2, paying for to unlock content already on the disc.

DLC for Tiger Woods 11 was out same day of release @ 800msp per course

And yet, Trials HD's latest DLC is only 400msp, has 35+ tracks and took them, what, 4 months to put together.

Disgusting. Fcuk you EA sports.

Retr0gamer

The worst one are the 'time saver packs'. Pay 800 MS points and automatically unlock all tracks and cars/gain enoughexperience to take you to level 50/earn 100,000 in game gold.

o1s1n

Retr0gamer wrote: »

The worst one are the 'time saver packs'. Pay 800 MS points and automatically unlock all tracks and cars/gain enoughexperience to take you to level 50/earn 100,000 in game gold.

Please tell me you're joking.

CiDeRmAn

I'll be argumentative now and say that the best thing about modern gaming OS the sheer amount of quality games.
And I'll go one further by saying the accessibility to games of all skill levels is also a good thing.

A bad thing is the desire of console manufacturers to lock up their creations in drm, licenses locking put homebrew development.

But, overall, we have been living in a second golden age of gaming since the release of.the PS2, sure there is plenty of trash, but lots of gaming goodness as well.

Retr0gamer

I'm afraid not:

Timer saver dlc in Hot Pursuit to unlockall cars:

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/8154.html

Tales of Versperia, buy levels, gold and skill points:

http://www.1up.com/news/tales-vesperia-dlc-buy-levels

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I'll be argumentative now and say that the best thing about modern gaming OS the sheer amount of quality games.
And I'll go one further by saying the accessibility to games of all skill levels is also a good thing.

A bad thing is the desire of console manufacturers to lock up their creations in drm, licenses locking put homebrew development.

But, overall, we have been living in a second golden age of gaming since the release of.the PS2, sure there is plenty of trash, but lots of gaming goodness as well.

Got to disagree. We're getting the same amount of good games now as we have been getting every generation. We went through a few rough patch years but it's the same cycle with every generation, first few years are slim pickings while the twilight years that we are just in this generation are much better.

It's definitely not better but by no means is it worse.

o1s1n

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'm afraid not:

Timer saver dlc in Hot Pursuit to unlockall cars:

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/8154.html

Tales of Versperia, buy levels, gold and skill points:

http://www.1up.com/news/tales-vesperia-dlc-buy-levels

They had a thing for that in my day. It was called using cheats.

I guess people who are stupid enough to waste their money on these things probably deserve it.

pdbhp

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'm afraid not:

Timer saver dlc in Hot Pursuit to unlockall cars:

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/8154.html

Tales of Versperia, buy levels, gold and skill points:

http://www.1up.com/news/tales-vesperia-dlc-buy-levels

I think that just shows how lowbrow gaming has become, in the good old days you just had to man up and keep trying to figure out what was going on with the occasional cheat / hint in a magazine.
Examples of how easy most games have become is the Call of Duty series there is little or no difficulty in completing the games and feels extremly linear (thought there's nothing wrong with linear) which in this case makes it accessible for the general public or imbiciles.
Another thing that really grinds my gears is DLC now done properly DLC can be advantageous to gaming but in the case of CoD MW2 not so as it was €15 euros per map pack and there was 2 of them totalling €30 after already ponying up €45 which for a couple of crap maps is unacceptable. Now I bought the first of these packs which messed me up because I then bought Battlefield BC 2 but since the current financial climate required me to choose one or the other and since I had already purchased the add on pack I was stuck with the inferior game:(

The main problem issue I have with gaming these days is lack of variety / good titles. Most game stores stock the same games and it's a rarity to find a gem amongst the FIFA / CoD / Tiger Woods tripe that they're pumping out these days

Retr0gamer

Once those map packs come out they totally split the community as well. You'll be kicked out of games because you don't have the maps to play on. I remember starting up Halo 3 for a quick blast with my brother 3 years after it had come out. They actually blocked access to some of the game types that were available at launch if you didn't own the map packs which is ridiculous.

As for the MW2 map packs, 15 euro for a map pack with 2 new levels and 2 recycled ones from MW1 is not good value. You used to get that stuff for free. Sure look at TF2 which is still receiving support and patches.

pdbhp

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Once those map packs come out they totally split the community as well. You'll be kicked out of games because you don't have the maps to play on.

This is the main reason I bought the packs, it was a lesson well learned and I'll not be falling for that bull plop again. It's just a pity that I can't re-package the pack and bring it back to the shop...Damn digital content.:pac:

CiDeRmAn

But, the crack of selling progress in a game is just sense really.
It's all right to be a devotee to a game series like you or I might be, with a passion to see everything and to earn our way, but how many casual purchases of ours remain barely played? Game items, levels, cars etc never seen? A lot I would say, and you may see multiples of those incidences with folks who enjoy but the occasional go of the Xbox or PS.
As a result this allows them to at least have a taste of the full purchase they have made, although charging extra for something that used to be in the domain of the lowly cheat code is a bit rich.

If you buy a game, it's yours, once your not pirating it or altering the code to make a profit you should be free to do what you want, and if that includes taking a short cut to a full garage, why not, let them at it.

Retr0gamer

Why bother playing it if you can pay money to see the ending. These unlocking structures have been tweaked by developers for hours to give an incentive for people to play the games. Same with balancing and levelling up schemes. Most traditional games are like any other entertainment medium. They have a beginning, middle and end. If you do storywriting you will know the middle or the journey is the most important part. What's the point if you can pay your way to the end. I've played games like doom with god mode and gotten bored after a few minutes because there's just no point in the game. Of course you can choose not to buy these cheats and most sane people have but it's just underhanded pettiness from publishers wringing as much profits as they can. They'd earn more money putting the same effort they put into setting up these DLC transactions into making a quality game and marketing it properly.

komodosp

One aspect of modern games I don't like is that you have infinite lives. Time was you really went out of your way to avoid dying and searched for the 1ups. Now it seems that you die, and you are only sent back a small bit to your last save point. And when you get to a certain point the NPCs still go on about how great you are for making it that far. (I'm looking at you, Half-Life and Call of Duty 2)

OK it would be annoying to have to start the game again and again, but there should be some incentive not to die, other than the annoyance of having to do that bit again. Like for example, the fewer times you die, the more compliments you get from the NPCs or it unlocks other aspects of the game. Or in Call of Duty I thought maybe if you die, you get transfered to to another soldier, and the mission continues, minus of course the guy you just died "as". Your incentive not to die is to keep your squad intact.

From GTA 3 on, when you die you just get sent to the hospital and lose some money and have to do the mission again! When not on a mission there's almost no incentive to stay alive! (Esp after you build up a good cache of cash)

nyarlothothep

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Not sure I agree with the graphics statements either. I find with the introduction of shaders a lot of devleopers are over using them and making everything overly shiny and making everything look like it's constructed with plastic. It's DKC all over again!

Yar, I hear ya on that one. Another thing is the overuse of blurriness, for example in mass effect the specular highlights on the mako are way too blurry for my taste, the transitions between colours and texture details are too soft. Its a pretty traditional art principle but its overused imo. Everything is just slightly too warm, smooth and slick.

Xluna

Xluna wrote: »

Last game with originality I remember playing was Okami.

One more does spring to mind-the Bioshock series. Not so much for it's gameplay, but for it's stories and themes. The fact that the original scored over 90% speaks volumes when you consider it's an FPS with no multiplayer.
I'm looking forward to exploring Columbia in Bioshock: Infinte. From Ayn Rand to eugenics.

Retr0gamer

Xluna wrote: »

One more does spring to mind-the Bioshock series. Not so much for it's gameplay, but for it's stories and themes. The fact that the original scored over 90% speaks volumes when you consider it's an FPS with no multiplayer.
I'm looking forward to exploring Columbia in Bioshock: Infinte. From Ayn Rand to eugenics.

Well Bioshock is actually a rehash. If you played System Shock 2 you wouldn't think as highly of it. I loved Bioshock but I played System Shock 2 after it and it's so much better. Even the story is very similar to SS2 right down to the twist. I do think Bioschock is great but it's kind of telling that what some people consider an inovative game is in fact very derivative of a much better game that came out nearly 10 years before it.

That said the very best and truly innovative FPS games that have come out have been the Fallout games and the superb Stalker titles.

Xluna

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well Bioshock is actually a rehash. If you played System Shock 2 you wouldn't think as highly of it. I loved Bioshock but I played System Shock 2 after it and it's so much better. Even the story is very similar to SS2 right down to the twist. I do think Bioschock is great but it's kind of telling that what some people consider an inovative game is in fact very derivative of a much better game that came out nearly 10 years before it.

That said the very best and truly innovative FPS games that have come out have been the Fallout games and the superb Stalker titles.

I've heard it's similar in terms of gameplay to System shock but I didn't no anything about it being similar story wise. ( I only really started playing FPS, bar Doom, when the 360 came out.)

Still the city, and it's society, of Columbia does seem intriguing.

landsleaving

Best - The fact that good games still get a release.
The rise of indie devs,
The fun of motion controls (Wii Godfather and Madden = :D:D)
The lack of loading (I had an Amstrad)
The fact that story is becoming a real focus (even if they mostly make a balls of ir)
No more memory cards,
Zelda games are still being made and are still brilliant, ditto Mario.
Bigger games and huge worlds to explore, when done right.

Worst - Lack of variety, there are far too mnay fps/cover shooters. Violence, just too much violence, there are so few games that aren't all about killing. It used to be about staying alive.
Lack of imagination, seriously, I don't play games to see a real city, I want escapism and fantasy worlds, not just grey and brown.
Some devs turning games into movies.
Huge budgets and expenses mean a lack of originality and creativity.
And worst of all, Nolan North.

CiDeRmAn

I think the browness of fps environments has been successfully challenged by MW2 with its more colourful approach.
I want both real and fantasy in my games, I want to play GTA4 then zip off to the Ishimura.
I disagree that huge budgets condemn us to blandness, truth is that we can still see originality in modern gaming, be it Katamari, Wii Sports, No More Heroes.
I hate loading times, bye bye tapes and multiloaders!
And the rise of the iPhone, Xbla, PSN and Wiiware has meant that the spirit of the early arcade is still with us, that 3 minute buzz that brings us back for more.

Retr0gamer

landsleaving wrote: »

And worst of all, Nolan North.

Nolan North is great. Nolan North getting cast as Nathan Drake in every game isn't. The guy has amazing range and shouldn't be typecast. Look how good he was in alpha protocol where he played someone completely different to nathan drake.

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I think the browness of fps environments has been successfully challenged by MW2 with its more colourful approach.

Eh have you got cataracts or something because that game was very very brown and grey. I hope you aren't one of those that actually liked MW2 :O

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I disagree that huge budgets condemn us to blandness, truth is that we can still see originality in modern gaming, be it Katamari, Wii Sports, No More Heroes.

Try that again with games that actually had a budget this time because those 3 examples were very low budget games. Also Katamari is getting flogged to death by Namco with poor sequels that re use assest and levels wholesale to the original creators dismay.

Retr0gamer

Xluna wrote: »

I've heard it's similar in terms of gameplay to System shock but I didn't no anything about it being similar story wise. ( I only really started playing FPS, bar Doom, when the 360 came out.)

Still the city, and it's society, of Columbia does seem intriguing.

Ken Levine said when Bioshock hit development trouble he decided to just remake system shock 2 instead of creating more delays.

landsleaving

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Nolan North is great. Nolan North getting cast as Nathan Drake in every game isn't. The guy has amazing range and shouldn't be typecast. Look how good he was in alpha protocol where he played someone completely different to nathan drake.

I haven't played it yet, so all I've seen is Nathan Drake over and over. Is it any good actually, I was thinking of picking it up in HMV the other day, but got Deadly Premonition instead

Retr0gamer

landsleaving wrote: »

I haven't played it yet, so all I've seen is Nathan Drake over and over. Is it any good actually, I was thinking of picking it up in HMV the other day, but got Deadly Premonition instead

I've heard it described as the best worst game ever. I've not played it just seen bits of it. Bassically the combat is terrible but the story and dialogue and the amount of choice you have supposedly make the game worth it.

Myrddin

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well Bioshock is actually a rehash. If you played System Shock 2 you wouldn't think as highly of it. I loved Bioshock but I played System Shock 2 after it and it's so much better. Even the story is very similar to SS2 right down to the twist. I do think Bioschock is great but it's kind of telling that what some people consider an inovative game is in fact very derivative of a much better game that came out nearly 10 years before it.

That said the very best and truly innovative FPS games that have come out have been the Fallout games and the superb Stalker titles.

I fully agree, but you have to remember not every generation has experienced the past greats. It's like films, everything today has been done 20/30 years ago...but the style changes, & thats what appeals to younger generations.

chopperbyrne

landsleaving wrote: »

Zelda games are still being made and are still brilliant, ditto Mario.

Haven't played a brilliant Zelda game since Wind Waker.

They're still good games, but even the Zelda franchise appears to have run out of steam.

ghostchant

landsleaving wrote: »

Violence, just too much violence, there are so few games that aren't all about killing. It used to be about staying alive.

I agree. There was a time when I'd try to defend it, but over-the-top gore-porn is not my cup of tea. Watched a video of Manhunt executions earlier on in the games forum and it just seemed wrong. I can't even take the God of War games seriously as legitimate entertainment due to the ridiculous killing sequences. But that's just me I guess!

Myrddin

ghostchant wrote: »

I agree. There was a time when I'd try to defend it, but over-the-top gore-porn is not my cup of tea. Watched a video of Manhunt executions earlier on in the games forum and it just seemed wrong. I can't even take the God of War games seriously as legitimate entertainment due to the ridiculous killing sequences. But that's just me I guess!

I thought it was just me, but I seen the same video in the games forum & couldn't help but feel it was completely uneccessary to have content like that in a video game. Like yourself I'd have defended in during my stupid years (teens), but now it just seems disrespectful of everything I believe in.

Never thought I'd say this, but thats one game that deserved a ban. It was on my wanted list too, purely for the controversial factor, but having now seen it, I think it's disgusting (in a respect for life kinda way, not a blood/gore thing).

o1s1n

You're skirting along a risky line with the ban thing though. You personally find Manhunt offensive. There are many millions of people out there who find the violence in Grand Theft Auto equally as offensive. If you're allowed to ban something based on content which insults/offends you, then they should be allowed too.

I'm a firm believer in allowing absolutely any content in any form of media as long as it's not illegal.

Retr0gamer

EnterNow wrote: »

I thought it was just me, but I seen the same video in the games forum & couldn't help but feel it was completely uneccessary to have content like that in a video game. Like yourself I'd have defended in during my stupid years (teens), but now it just seems disrespectful of everything I believe in.

Never thought I'd say this, but thats one game that deserved a ban. It was on my wanted list too, purely for the controversial factor, but having now seen it, I think it's disgusting (in a respect for life kinda way, not a blood/gore thing).

It does kind of cheapen videogaming as an artistic mediumto take seriously. However when I was 14 I really wanted MK2. It didn't matter that the game wasn't great or that Super Street Fighter 2 was a far superior game, MK2 had gore. The fact is that violence sells. Now I don't mind violence that is stylistic so God of War is fine by me but it's games that are violence for violences sake that really get to me. Stuff like soldier of fortune and Manhunter I can't stand because other than the sadistic violence there's not even a good game behind it. The violence servesno purpose other than to generate sales.

Retr0gamer

o1s1n wrote: »

You're skirting along a risky line with the ban thing though. You personally find Manhunt offensive. There are many millions of people out there who find the violence in Grand Theft Auto equally as offensive. If you're allowed to ban something based on content which insults/offends you, then they should be allowed too.

I'm a firm believer in allowing absolutely any content in any form of media as long as it's not illegal.

Now I wouldn't ban Manhunter myself but the violence in it isn't artistic it's exploitative. There's absolutely no merit whatsoever in what that game does.

o1s1n

There's an aspect to art which involves pushing boundaries. Personally I've always been very interested in exploitative media and the subject of it being banned/allowed from an artistic point of view. Why do we have no problem with blowing millions of life forms away if it's within context but we can't do it for the sake of doing it? Is the context just giving us an excuse to enjoy the slaughter without feeling bad? How often are you thinking of context while screaming 'BOOM!!! HEADSHOT!!!' at the screen?

In the end, it's all the same thing. Killing. Whether you're squishing goombahs to a pulp, blowing people away in COD or killing someone with a plastic bag in Manhunt.

I think if anything, Manhunt took that one aspect that is prevalant in so many games, isolated it and showed us that well...violence really ain't cool.

amacachi

o1s1n wrote: »

I'm a firm believer in allowing absolutely any content in any form of media as long as it's not illegal.

So as soon as some misinformed people who've never played videogames decide to make something illegal you'd be completely fine with some of it being banned?

Best aspect of current gen gaming for me is that for the first time I'm actually in a position to enjoy it.

Myrddin

o1s1n wrote: »

You're skirting along a risky line with the ban thing though. You personally find Manhunt offensive. There are many millions of people out there who find the violence in Grand Theft Auto equally as offensive. If you're allowed to ban something based on content which insults/offends you, then they should be allowed too.

I'm a firm believer in allowing absolutely any content in any form of media as long as it's not illegal.

Good point sir. I see where your coming from, certain things offend some, yet others will view it as funny etc. I guess it's just that I'm that bit older now, to see that absoloutely no good can come from kids etc playing a game like that. It's wanten violence purely for the sake of it it my personal opinion, but, maybe it's not about outright banning - and more a case of stricter parental controls (i.e. the option to dull down what can be down based on who's playing etc). As a parent, that would be a godsend.

o1s1n

amacachi wrote: »

So as soon as some misinformed people who've never played videogames decide to make something illegal you'd be completely fine with some of it being banned?

Good point. And of course no, I wouldn't be fine with it being banned. When I mean't illegal I was thinking of snuff films, child porn and things like that. I guess you could substitute 'illegal' in my post with 'things which cause harm to others'

EnterNow wrote: »

Good point sir. I see where your coming from, certain things offend some, yet others will view it as funny etc. I guess it's just that I'm that bit older now, to see that absoloutely no good can come from kids etc playing a game like that. It's wanten violence purely for the sake of it it my personal opinion, but, maybe it's not about outright banning - and more a case of stricter parental controls (i.e. the option to dull down what can be down based on who's playing etc). As a parent, that would be a godsend.

Couldn't agree with you more. No good can come of children playing anything like that. But if the media in question has an age rating on it, well... at that stage it's up to the parent rather than society. Society has already played a part in it with the age guide. I really think the 'OMG, THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!' anti videogames brigade haven't a leg to stand on in that regard. If the child is playing it then it's a failure on a parenting level.

Just keep your young lad playing the Nes,vectrex etc and he'll be grand!

Nerdkiller1991

Retr0gamer wrote: »

- DLC rapetime transactions. Give me the full game I payed for. I don't want to have to pay 10 euros extra to pay for levels you cut out of a game. On the PC you used to pay half the price of a full game for an expansion which would be the size and quality of the original game. Give me something substantial like that that actually required effort to make. Yes - Fallout 3 expansions, Undead expansion to RDR. No - paying for cut levels in Assassins Creed 2, paying for to unlock content already on the disc.

- Multiplayer Matchmaking. It doesn't work, I'm clever enough to choose my own server thank you very much.

- Lack of dedicated servers for console games. Leads to no community building and once a game is 3 months old the online community is dead. Also pings are terrible if the host machine connection is crap.

- Lack of split screen multiplayer. I don't care if the field of view is reduced and the framerate is terrible. I'd rather play with 4 mates in the same room than online. For all my bile towards Halo it at least does this and does it brilliantly.

YES! I agree with all of those statements. I'm so fed up of having the game choose what server I should go on. I mean, look at Killzone 2. Supported dedicated servers and server browsers, but now look at Killzone 3. I think the dedi's are still there, but now its just matchmaking. At least they had the right idea of implementing splitscreen.

Retr0gamer

o1s1n wrote: »

I think if anything, Manhunt took that one aspect that is prevalant in so many games, isolated it and showed us that well...violence really ain't cool.

All it showed me was that you can't make a good game with violence alone because it was one of the worst games I'd ever played.

I think Rockstar should have taken a bit more responsibility and not made the game. They put out a terrible game to make a quick sale but managed to set peoples view of videogaming as a legitimate art form back another few years. Some controversial games I can defend the violence in them. Mortal Kombat is very much tongue in cheek. God of War is stylistic. The airport scene in Modern Warfare 2, I can see what they were going for, they failed to accomplish it but there was an effort to make a statement. Manhunter though there's no defending it for me. It's a terrible game, it was violence for violence sake and they can put a mature rating on the cover but that game was aimed at a young teen demograph.

Jack burton

I remember enjoying my playthrough of manhunt, but I'm a big tenchu fan, so almost anything stealth I like, the violence was just a bit too much in manhunt though. Liked the music aswell, good game to play anrgy!

o1s1n

Retr0gamer wrote: »

All it showed me was that you can't make a good game with violence alone because it was one of the worst games I'd ever played.

I think Rockstar should have taken a bit more responsibility and not made the game. They put out a terrible game to make a quick sale but managed to set peoples view of videogaming as a legitimate art form back another few years. Some controversial games I can defend the violence in them. Mortal Kombat is very much tongue in cheek. God of War is stylistic. The airport scene in Modern Warfare 2, I can see what they were going for, they failed to accomplish it but there was an effort to make a statement. Manhunter though there's no defending it for me. It's a terrible game, it was violence for violence sake and they can put a mature rating on the cover but that game was aimed at a young teen demograph.

What's in good taste and not good taste is completely relative to the person who is viewing the content.

To me, Manhunt was a look at the role violence plays in games. We've all become desensitized to pulling triggers and blowing the absolute ****e out of polygons on the screen. Whenever I killed someone in Manhunt though I had a horrible gut wrenching feeling of 'that's just not right' in my stomach.

Therefore whether you like it or not, that game has an impact. You talk about games being art, well...art has to have an impact. And I believe it was worth making for that alone.

There's more going on in that game than the likes of Soldier of Fortune by the way. SOF was just gore for the sake of it. After dismembering a few heads the novelty wears off. Manhunt and its sequal on the other hand are just downright frightening. As I was saying, it has an impact.