Last week David Cage, CEO of Quantic Dream, delivered his keynote speech at D.I.C.E. Summit held by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Science and what he had to say did not please many gamers. This conference is intended for the video games industry but consumers have a big role in what the developers create.
The entire speech can be found here:
Cage strongly asserts that the video games industry is suffering from what he calls the "Peter Pan Syndrome." He claims that video games have not change much, if at all, in their 40 year history. Yes, there have been technological advances and graphical improvements, but the core of today's games haven't changed. I couldn't agree more and I feel the genre suffering from this problem the most is the RPG.
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This is a concern of mine because RPGs have strayed very little from the "save the world" paradigm. On the other hand the games can very little substance, like the Fable series. This genre is a very adaptable one that can easily handle mature themes.
Themes that are more mature are found in Role Playing games, but they are always hidden in the subtext of the narrative. I could extrapolate that Final Fantasy XIII dealt with prejudice and societal perception of the "other," but I had to look beyond the facade of the game to glean these issues. I wished that this was the focal point of the story, seeing how the cast would cope with and overcome being labelled as corrupted outsiders.
It seems that RPGs are used as a means of doing and seeing things can exist beyond our reality. Slaying dragons is fun, but it needs to have meaning. There is nothing wrong with a fantastical game with magic and monsters. They can be very enjoyable providing an escape from our real life problems and worries. However, as a gamer I want to see what happens if RPGs used these authentic issues as primary themes.
I am currently playing through the Level-5 and Studio Ghibli collaboration Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. The bright and beautiful colours of this lighthearted game disguise the more serious issue which lies at the core. Ni no Kuni is about loss - how the loss of a young boy's mother can completely disrupt his world. The fantasy setting of the surreal parallel world is used as a narrative device to portray the difficulties Oliver experiences while dealing with the death of his mother. It does not take a stretch of the imagine to consider that losing a dearly loved family member would turn one's world completely upside down. This is also what makes the game great. The theme has meaning and is relatable; it is accessible to anyone even those who have little to no interest in video games.
Accessibility is another area RPGs falter. More often than not these games will not interest someone who does not play games. The stories could be deemed too strange, the characters might be to silly looking. How about a Role Playing game with realistic humans set in a world within the confines of our reality trying to overcome something that is relevant to our modern world. An example could be a man or woman living in persecution for his or her beliefs and how this person copes in a society in which they are not welcome.
I hope to see more mature, more relevant RPGs in the upcoming generation of consoles. This genre is certainly able to tackle more than it is given credit for.
Before I begin I want to thank Slackur for always providing insightful and though-provoking comments to my blog articles. His comment about friends playing F-Zero in a way that defies the conventional approach to the game got me thinking about how I consume and experience my video games. I came to the conclusion that a person can either actively or passively receive their gaming content. My goal here is to start a discussion about how we as gamers and collectors absorb the content of our favourite medium.
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This is not so much an analysis of RPGs themselves, but the way in which I consume them. I would describe myself as a passive gamer in that I stay within the confines of the world and conventions of the games I play. I allow myself to be sucked into the mythology the game presents and let the game reveal its secrets to me. I would compare this to be told an intriguing campfire story that has the audience eagerly waiting to learn the conclusion of the plot. I play games the same way many people watch movies. I search out the narrative techniques utilized by the story, and take the hint when an event is foreshadowed. I still explore all the nooks and crannies of the game environments and think outside the box when it's required of me, but that is where my immersion ends because I play the game the way it was meant to be played.
[img width=700 height=311]http://blog.alesyabags.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/linear-green.jpg[/img]
The other camp of gamers, those actively consuming their games, seem to take a completely different approach to the content of video games. Simply put, these people play games the way they weren't meant to. They might try to cause the game to glitch or create their own little game. Returning to Slackur's comment, he recalled friends who would align their vehicles perpendicular to the direction of the track in front of a ramp and wait for another racer to collide into them pushing them up and off the ramp. They would then accelerate off the screen. What a perfect way to play a game in a completely new and inventive way. Active gamers take the game and turn it into something totally their own.
[img width=550 height=305]http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/assasins-creed.jpg[/img]
For further reading have a look at these articles that I found interesting.
Are games becoming more like TV entertainment?
Passive/active gameplay as design mechanics
I want to know how the RF Generation community receive their gaming content. Do you play the game in the manner you're told to, or do you break the rules and reinvent the game?
In Part 1 of my critique on video game categorization I posed the question "Can the Zelda games be considered RPGs?" My stance is that these games cannot be labeled as Role Playing games on the basis that they do not depict the character growth, statistic building, and depth of narrative required of games of the genre.
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The Zelda series no doubt presents many enthralling story lines, but the characters are subject to the direction of the narrative. Consider these games to be akin to a Greek myth in which the hero is a victim of the fate determined by the gods. Like Odysseus, Link must take up arms, embark upon a journey of epic proportions and cope with an unalterable destiny. The characters of Adventure games are driven by the story. RPGs display the opposite. The characters push the narrative forward.
Despite this critical fact that separates Adventure and Role Playing games one cannot argue that both involve playing the role of a hero on an adventure. This is why I am not comfortable with the term "RPG." Modern video games, and even many retro titles, cannot be pigeon holed into just one genre category. A game such as Secret of Mana is rooted in the RPG basics and incorporates gameplay elements from the Adventure genre. Titles that merge these two genres are too conveniently labeled as Action RPG. This does provide insight on the game's play style, but does not accurately identify the game as a whole. My solution to this is to look at the adventure itself, the context in which it takes place, and whether characters grow as the game progresses.
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Narrative Adventure
This is the typical RPG whether it is turn based or played out in real time. These games depict stories which are driven by the protagonist and his or her companions. Character development is illustrated via statistics, but more so in the dialogue or cut scenes. As the characters grow the story becomes deeper much like a film or novel. These games tend to be longer as more time is spent allowing the player to experience the characters and setting. The structure of the narrative often follows Joseph Campbell's Monomyth.
Fantasy Adventure/Action Adventure
The story is set in a fantastical world which has power over the hero. The protagonist's shortcomings do not impact the story; in this case the story predetermines his or her weaknesses. The focus of these games is directed more to the player having to adapt to and overcome challenges presenting by in game obstacles. These games also follow the Monomyth structure, but take the shortened path which is shown in the upper portion of the diagram.
I've enjoyed looking at what constitutes an "RPG" and like that there is no definitive answer. My solution for the categorization problem uses the characters and storyline of the games, as I feel they are integral to a great gaming experience. What are your thoughts on these labels? How do you identify what is and isn't a Role Playing game?
The first article in my new RPG Analysis series sparked some great conversation about community members' thoughts of the pricing of Role Playing games. We discussed some of our favourite titles and touched upon the timelessness of the genre. One comment, however, stood out from the lot. Addicted cited The Legend of Zelda as the first RPG he had played to completion.
There is no doubt that Zelda series boasts many great games in its catalogue. The debates lies here: can the Zelda games, which commonly accepted as Action Adventure games, be considered RPGs?
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Continue reading Categorization Caveat: Part 1, The Problem
As someone new to the hobby of video game collecting the issue of retail value versus perceived value regularly comes to mind. Generally this is not a problem as many retro games can be purchased for reasonably low prices. Simulation, sports, and platforming titles are excellent examples of games that may be acquired for a few dollars with the intent to fill those collection holes fairly easily. There are, however, certain games that command excess amounts of money years after their release. These would include games of the Role Playing genre.
A search on Ebay will yield results displaying complete copies of early entires in the Final Fantasy series with three figure price tags. A minimum wage pay cheque is often insufficient to pay for a complete in box EarthBound. Even games of these genres from less popular consoles command relatively high prices. In many cases these Role Playing games have appreciated in value.
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Continue reading Perceived Value and RPGs
I'm not a big fan of golf. I've watched Happy Gilmor with Adam Sandler and really liked it, but unfortunately golf just isn't the same as its portrayed in the movie. What's worse, you can't train at the mini putt with the laughing clown face. Obviously I have no experience with the sport and to only until recently used to confuse Jack Nicholson and Jack Nicklaus.
Well, today I decided to put all that behind me and have a go at NES Open Tournament Golf.
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A plumber who's off to hit the links? What could go wrong? If Fleach is on the sticks, the possibilities are endless.
Continue reading FreshNES Part 3: I'm a Gamer, not a Golfer
I am a big fan of RPG style games. I love getting immersed in the mythical and fantastical worlds these games create. From the industrial metropolis of Midgar to the Kingdom of the GreatTree, I relish the experience of guiding my band of adventurers on their quests.
It should come as no surprise that for my mission to play as many NES games as possible I'd sooner rather than later play Enix's Dragon Warrior.
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Continue reading FreshNES Part 2: The Adventure Begins
I finally purchased a tube TV to play my fabulous NES titles on. I eagerly hooked up the console and took the time to choose a couple games. With the intension to keep things light and easy I decided on 10-Yard Fight and Blades of Steel.
I inserted the first cartridge.
Nothing. Just the nightmarish blinking red light and a steadily flashing gray screen. I was devastated.
"Not to worry," I thought, "I have a back-up NES."
I unplugged the first console and hooked up the other. Same thing, I was zero for two.
Eventually this happened:
[img width=700 height=388]http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o736/Fleach/DSCF2458.jpg[/img]
Surely the Internet would yield some kind of answer to my trouble. Apparently the 72-pin connector needs replacing. Alas, being impatient as I am, I continued to scour the web for a makeshift solution. It turns out that if you gentle wiggle the cart once its inside the console the connection can be improved. So wiggle I did and sure enough I was greeted by the 10-Yard Fight title scrren.
I know that this is not a real solution, but until a new 72-pin connecting comes in the mail there isn't much I can do.
OK! Time to toss the pixelated pigskin!
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10-Yard Fight simply put is a fun little football simulator. The player controls one of two teams. The control scheme is easy to master after a couple of minutes. While on the offense the A button initially passes the ball to the quarter back, then can be pressed to perform a long distance pass, whereas the B button executes a quick lateral pass. When playing on the defense the player first must select one teammate to control with either A or B then the gameplay begins.
What I really liked about the game were the sound effects. The players running across the field sounded a lot of horses galloping over the wide steppe. Even the rhythm resembled galloping. I also enjoyed watching the player sprites; they looked like they were doing some kind of cossack dance.
I actually horribly lost the match 21-0. I'm terrible at football. But since I'm Canadian maybe I'd have better luck on the ice.
So, I laced up my skates, I mean, fired up Blades of Steel.
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I used to like hockey games growing up so I had high hopes for this one.
Video games don't get any simpler than this. Rapidly tapping the B button enables you to almost always win the face off. With the puck in your possession B is used to pass, and A is pressed to shoot. Where the game gets interesting is when the opposing team crosses the blue line the player controls the goalie. I really liked that concept.
I was especially good at the most important aspect of hockey - fighting. The gloves were off and it was fisticuffs on ice!
[img width=700 height=388]http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o736/Fleach/DSCF2470.jpg[/img]
When one team scores the opposing team's goalie suddenly flails his arms like an angry troll. Very cool.
Of the games played today Konami's Blades of Steel was the better of the two. It did not have any clunky animations or controls. It felt smooth and flowed nicely even by today's standards. The voice acting was entertaining, albeit repetitive. The announcer's "with the cross!"booming from the speakers every time I passed the puck did get annoying after a while. However, the simulated sound of skates slashing over the ice was pretty decent. Overall, I thought it was a good game and one that I'll return to. That says a lot as I'm not really a fan of sports games.
I don't think there is much to be said about sports games. They're fun ways to pass the time and provide a bit of healthy competition between friends. The simple gameplay mechanics are easy to grasp making them enjoyable to play.
PS - Does anyone know how to take quality pictures of gameplay in action? I used a Fujifilm EXR for these snapshots.
First off, thanks for taking the time to check out my blog. Here I'll write about my experiences with NES and SNES games. I know of the fantastic reputations of these console generations, so I'm making it my mission to finally play these awesome (and less stellar) games.
I will call this blog "FreshNES" because having never played an NES game I have a fresh perspective of them (and because I think puns are funny). I really hope that you find my pictures and ruminations entertaining.
A little bit about me... During my impressionable years in the early 1990s I was too young to fully enjoy the magnificent NES. Fortunately, I did eventually convince my parents to buy me a Super Nintendo and fond memories ensued. I vividly remember guiding Link through dungeons in Link to the Past, and somewhat ruefully recall Baby Mario's ear-splitting wails in Yoshi's Island.
From there I graduated to the glorious Nintendo 64 and it was official: I'd been bitten by the polygonal gaming bug.
Providing myself with the opportunity to truly experience and enjoy these gems is the reason I have decided to become a video game collector. The 8- and 16-bit games have great appeal to gamers young and old and have withstood the test of time.
So to get things going I picked up a bunch of these classic games. I have roughly ten games for the NES and five for the SNES so I can hit the ground running. Now, to just find a nice old tube TV. I hear these games look better on the old televisions compared to today's flat screens.
With that said, I think a trip to the thrift store is in order.
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