Before I seem like one of those jaded 'leave me alone and let me game' types the last entry may have implied, let me bring up another rare opportunity this new console generation is going to give;
Something shiny that gives an excuse for us all to gather 'round the TV and hang out.
One of the many changes in gaming culture that happened from growing out of a niche hobby into a mainstream staple, is that inevitably the 'newness' of video games is long gone. No longer a novelty box with extra chords plugging into that wooden framed 25"-er, chances are grandma plays a few social games on facebook and your parents kill a few hours with Angry Birds or Candy Crush on an iPad/iPhone/calculator watch. (Do they still have those?)
Nowadays, it is likely more people you know play some form of video game than don't, and that sure wasn't true for most of us in our youth. Video games are now so entrenched in our society that pretty much anything electronic is expected to feature some interactive 'for fun' element. I'm waiting for my kids to ask what else our digital thermostat 'plays.'
Whereas in the past, millions of marketing dollars were spend just to get people to be aware of, and understand what is, a new console, now billions of marketing dollars are spend to regenerate excitement beyond a 'meh, slightly better graphics and now I wave my arms at a camera that may or may not be spying on me.'
Back in the day, if you were the first on the block to own a 2600, NES, or Genesis, suddenly you had friends you didn't know the name of, asking for a turn. In my C64 days, more kids came through our living room than the local arcade. And two player games could get riotous, in a good way, with everyone fidgeting excitedly as they stared at the action onscreen and awaited their turn.
It may sound like I'm only waxing nostalgic, pining for bygone days where the freshness of video games brought more excitement and attention. Living rooms in our modern world aren't exactly 'Leave it to Beaver' style family gathering spaces anymore. In fact, Nintendo is largely criticized as being out of touch with modern gamers by designing the Wii U as a device made for such an environment. Local multiplayer focus instead of online focus? A private screen to play on so someone else could watch the 'big TV' while you play games in the same room? Hey Nintendo, did you focus test this thing in the 80s?
Unless Nintendo, true to their word, really isn't interested in more FPS and GTA experiences. Instead of catering to that environment, they are giving the tools to generate the experiences such as the one outlined in my youth. When Christmas day comes and the kids open up that Wii U, we're going to have a blast with four-player Super Mario Wii U. We're going to spend some family time puzzle-solving through Scribblenauts Unlimited. And when the kids finally go to bed, Wind Waker HD and I have some catching up to do. Probably while my beloved watches Scrooged on our 'big TV.'
But let's not even count the Wii U. By carefully cultivating an environment that encourages a group to hang out in the same area, weekend gaming is always socially rewarding. Our collection is not just out on display; it is all set up and ready to go. TVs are lined up, old and new systems next to each other, just waiting to be played. Our family is very much into social gaming, and most of the time we're not on all on the same game. As much fun as it is to have an intense Halo LAN match, hilarious 8 player Bomberman game, and full Rock Band setup going, our friends are comfortable turning on a single player game and just spending time together while we all play what we're in the mood for.
Its kind of the 'older adult' version of that youth experience; everyone knows they can come in and just enjoy themselves, play what they want (respecting kids bedtimes and M rated games, etc.) and still be social, even engaging. Or just sit, relax and enjoy the environment and friends without expectation.
Which brings us back around to the advent of the PS4. For the first time since the 360/PS3 launch, we have something new and interesting to plug in and try out. Interest and even excitement can be contagious in a group of friends, and those who could care less often still find themselves with controller in hand, trying out the new hardware. For the first time in a long time, a group stares at a single player experience as player one takes the machine through its paces. Folks debate the differences in graphics and control, and for brief moments something new and engaging is shared amongst like-minded people. At least for a little while, every new game that comes out is something to at least try, and see if anything new is brought to the table.
In the modern age of gaming, sometimes we forget how near-magical it really is to have such wonderful toys. Maybe some of us are too-far gone to care, and some never have. But with the right mindset, we don't have to try and recapture lightning in a bottle. We just have to remember what its like to be excited the next time a thunder cloud comes, bottles ready.
|
Reading your article brought me back to that headspace of 12 year-old me going to birthday parties and friends' houses to play Super Smash Bros with three other friends or excited giving advice to a friend playing a single-player game while I waited my turn..
I guess the inner child/geek faded away in many of my friends because I'm the only one of my group who plays games so my multiplayer experience doesn't really exist anymore (at least I have my trip to Crabby's to look forward to for that reason).
I think it ironic (and a little disappointing) that today's "social" gaming scene has in the end made us less social and more insular because of online play. In any case, thanks Nintendo for keeping the living room a fun place to hang out.
|
|
I have been mulling over what you wrote, slackur, and I think I can finally make a coherent comment.
One of the reasons I have so many disconnects with gamers of today (and any age really) is that I was never privy to the kind of "living room" gaming that so many of my friends and peers exclaim over. Gaming was always either with two people or one person, with the latter being the most common. Don't get me wrong, I played my share of Road Rash and Mario Kart, but for the most part gaming was single player. My best friend and I would pass the controller back and forth, sharing the experience with words and anecdotes more than anything else, even though we sat less than a foot apart. We did this from the the first time we played Out of this World until the first Resident Evil.
This is why I don't think I will ever understand why many gamers regard modern multiplayer with contempt over the gaming of the past. For me gaming over the Internet is near and the same with "living-room gaming," with direct interaction with other humans being the point. Personally, one of the most memorable experiences playing games with a friend was during a six month period where we each bought a copy of Morrowind for the Xbox (original), played at lease two hours after work, then shared our experiences while on the assemble line. We talked about new places, tactics, NPCs that we encountered, and loot found in strange places. It was a wonderful time that I've yet to duplicate, and while I've had a lot of fun, I cannot point to one company or creator and said they did anything more than the others to change that.
Now I'd like to highlight your final paragraph: This feeling that you are describing is something that many of us on this website share, but it may be different for each person. For me this whole journey has been for a sense of exploration and adventure that I got when I first picked up an O^2 joystick and played UFO!
Again, thank you for the thought provoking article, slackur.
|
|
@bombatomba: I don't think the experiences we are each discussing are at the expense of each-other. The three games I have reserved for the PS4 are Battlefield 4, Need for Speed Rivals, and Destiny, with the specific intent to play them online with a friend of mine that I haven't personally seen for about 15 years, and yet we play online every week.
For many of us, gaming is and always has been best as a one, at most two player pastime. Some favorite gaming memories are definitely in that environment, mine included.
However, the 'gaming party' experience I'm highlighting here is unique to a personal, social environment. Many gamers experienced it in their youth (or still do), and many of those same gamers do not really have that anymore. The online social experience can be just as memorable, even preferable to some gamers, and the above article wasn't written to challenge that; but even if it is as good and more readily available to many gamers, it is not the same experience, and I hope to rekindle the fire in those gamers who miss such events.
As you wisely reference, video game players and experiences are so wide and vast, there are few if indeed any 'wrong' ways. I hope I do not come across as challenging someone's preference, but encouraging one that may have been lost.
|
