Assignment 3 - The Past, Present and the Future Is Now
The 80's saw the rise of personal computers and primarily, in my opinion, the most uninspiring genre of video games imaginable - Text based adventure games.
As popular as they might be their main function is to serve as an interactive novel and I personally feel they hold no place in the games world. However later text-based adventures started to adapt visual representations of the world they depicted and thus paved the way for future "point-and-click" games and Myst's several sequels.
During this same time video game software saw primitive 3D graphics emerge such as Pole Position (1982) which used "Pseudo-3D graphics" for the rear-view-racing-format which to this day has been repeated even with true 3D graphics. The Sierra King's Quest series also adapted an illusion of 3D with a player controlled character moving behind and in front of objects on a 2D background drawn in perspective.
Hardware such as ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 were increasingly popular through Commodore 64s aggressive pricing strategy - which to this day companies follow (£425 for a PS3? pfft!!!) - and eventually becoming more affortable. IBM's PCs were advancing in both graphical terms and aurally which led to further competition between console and computer.
Nintendo launched their Game & Watch line of simple LCD handheld consoles which were later copied by other companies (I was once told copying is a form of flattery, Nintendo must be blushing rosey red cheeks with compliments).
The early nineties to me was the most important and influential point of video games as it saw Nintendo's NES system define video gaming forever with it's new control pad system taking over from the arcade style joystick. With an 8-way directional pad and 2 buttons the NES became the standard of console gaming with the Sega Mastersystem adopting this 8-way 2-button method.
Other interesting moments of the nineties are the games that were released for said console such as Metal Gear, Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros and Final Fantasy which all to this day have become very successful series with later games demonstrating the technological advances in hardware such as Playstation's Metal Gear Solid which brought the MG world into 3D.
Super Mario and Legend of Zelda have also received the 3D makeover with Super Mario 64 and LoZ Ocarina of Time respectively. Both of which are considered 'classic' among gamers and critics alike. Even Final Fantasy (with it's beautifully ironic name) has lasted for XI (that's eleven in roman numerals) main titles with 2 more on the way (that's not including handheld console versions, mobile games and spin offs) with intriguing and fantastic plots which destroy the early 80's text based adventures and incorporate fun and timeless gameplay.
The most significant developments of the middle-ages of video games were the emerging genres that remain today such as First Person Shooters (FPS) which were commercially realised by previous Shareware companies such as 3D Realms, Id Software and Epic which produced such games as Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem and Unreal.
The RTS (Real time strategy) was also born in this era of gaming and is still a popular genre among PC gamers with early titles such as Dune II uptop more recent titles such as Age of Empires.
While Nintendo adapted cartridges as their standard format CD-ROMs were establishing their significance with Shareware demos becoming available with magazine publications and later on becoming the standard for computer gaming and Sony's Playstation
Internet gaming also flourished during this period and thus spawned the wonderfully dubbed MMORPG (Mass Multiplay...ahh you know what it is ;)...OK if you don't its Mass Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game).
History repeated itself after the battle between NES and Mastersystem the SNES and Megadrive duked it out for top console - with Sega's controversial advertisement approach leaving Nintendo with the impression 'more bark than bite' - and later on Sony entered the ring with the PlayStation while Sega attack with their Saturn console. Both toting 32 bit graphics Nintendo never goes out without a fight and thus returns with their Nintendo 64.
The 80s-90s of video game development was fundamentally a matter of graphics and this has remained up until this day with few companies standing out with new and interesting gameplay rather than relying on the tactic of repeated formula.
Changing trends don't occur often but if there is one Nintendo are at the steering wheel such as their introduction to analog sticks and shoulder trigger buttons even down to pressure sensitive buttons.
Games changed dramatically on a physical level during this time but fundamentally the elements which made up a great game were still there.
Now competition is tough as many publishers try to sell their product and the only way to be successful is to individualise yourself from the rest of the flock with interesting and new gameplay, beautiful and awe-inspiring graphics, replay value and value for money.
Games have reached a stopping point from their transition from 2D to 3D and now it is more about graphical detail rather than stretching ones imagination to create the unimaginable.
As popular as they might be their main function is to serve as an interactive novel and I personally feel they hold no place in the games world. However later text-based adventures started to adapt visual representations of the world they depicted and thus paved the way for future "point-and-click" games and Myst's several sequels.
During this same time video game software saw primitive 3D graphics emerge such as Pole Position (1982) which used "Pseudo-3D graphics" for the rear-view-racing-format which to this day has been repeated even with true 3D graphics. The Sierra King's Quest series also adapted an illusion of 3D with a player controlled character moving behind and in front of objects on a 2D background drawn in perspective.
Hardware such as ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 were increasingly popular through Commodore 64s aggressive pricing strategy - which to this day companies follow (£425 for a PS3? pfft!!!) - and eventually becoming more affortable. IBM's PCs were advancing in both graphical terms and aurally which led to further competition between console and computer.
Nintendo launched their Game & Watch line of simple LCD handheld consoles which were later copied by other companies (I was once told copying is a form of flattery, Nintendo must be blushing rosey red cheeks with compliments).
The early nineties to me was the most important and influential point of video games as it saw Nintendo's NES system define video gaming forever with it's new control pad system taking over from the arcade style joystick. With an 8-way directional pad and 2 buttons the NES became the standard of console gaming with the Sega Mastersystem adopting this 8-way 2-button method.
Other interesting moments of the nineties are the games that were released for said console such as Metal Gear, Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros and Final Fantasy which all to this day have become very successful series with later games demonstrating the technological advances in hardware such as Playstation's Metal Gear Solid which brought the MG world into 3D.
Super Mario and Legend of Zelda have also received the 3D makeover with Super Mario 64 and LoZ Ocarina of Time respectively. Both of which are considered 'classic' among gamers and critics alike. Even Final Fantasy (with it's beautifully ironic name) has lasted for XI (that's eleven in roman numerals) main titles with 2 more on the way (that's not including handheld console versions, mobile games and spin offs) with intriguing and fantastic plots which destroy the early 80's text based adventures and incorporate fun and timeless gameplay.
The most significant developments of the middle-ages of video games were the emerging genres that remain today such as First Person Shooters (FPS) which were commercially realised by previous Shareware companies such as 3D Realms, Id Software and Epic which produced such games as Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem and Unreal.
The RTS (Real time strategy) was also born in this era of gaming and is still a popular genre among PC gamers with early titles such as Dune II uptop more recent titles such as Age of Empires.
While Nintendo adapted cartridges as their standard format CD-ROMs were establishing their significance with Shareware demos becoming available with magazine publications and later on becoming the standard for computer gaming and Sony's Playstation
Internet gaming also flourished during this period and thus spawned the wonderfully dubbed MMORPG (Mass Multiplay...ahh you know what it is ;)...OK if you don't its Mass Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game).
History repeated itself after the battle between NES and Mastersystem the SNES and Megadrive duked it out for top console - with Sega's controversial advertisement approach leaving Nintendo with the impression 'more bark than bite' - and later on Sony entered the ring with the PlayStation while Sega attack with their Saturn console. Both toting 32 bit graphics Nintendo never goes out without a fight and thus returns with their Nintendo 64.
The 80s-90s of video game development was fundamentally a matter of graphics and this has remained up until this day with few companies standing out with new and interesting gameplay rather than relying on the tactic of repeated formula.
Changing trends don't occur often but if there is one Nintendo are at the steering wheel such as their introduction to analog sticks and shoulder trigger buttons even down to pressure sensitive buttons.
Games changed dramatically on a physical level during this time but fundamentally the elements which made up a great game were still there.
Now competition is tough as many publishers try to sell their product and the only way to be successful is to individualise yourself from the rest of the flock with interesting and new gameplay, beautiful and awe-inspiring graphics, replay value and value for money.
Games have reached a stopping point from their transition from 2D to 3D and now it is more about graphical detail rather than stretching ones imagination to create the unimaginable.
posted by The Horror @ 11:22 pm
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