Opinionated! : Is innovation dead?

Bored of the same brown shooter? Played another long and identical RPG? Ever wondered why?

Welcome to Opinionated! We here at VGU have a fare few thoughts about the games industry and how games are designed, so, what better way to tell the world then by putting these thoughts on paper?

[NukaCola]

Look at the smaller games

DeathSpank
Flower
Journey
Stacking
Trials
Limbo
Trine
The Unfinished Swan
Outland

^^^THESE
You can find amazing games in small packages. Indi is where it's at IMO.

[Eyeco]

don't forget Portal and Braid, the latter was incredible i never got down to beating it tho

[DwightOwen]

LIMBO was fucking fantastic.

[bsjkupo]

Totally agree! Indies blew up because of this innovation Lull in mainstream games IMO :)

[1upgamer99]

You know what, there has NOT been innovation in years. I mean Nintendo does it first and sorry to say the rest follow. Now watch the rest follow once again. Nintendo gamepad and here we go Microsoft (I wont even talk about "Smart Glass") will create something better than the gamepad Nintendo developed FIRST, and Sony will do the same. People say Wii sucks, well I guess they have not played Metroid, Galaxy, Red Steel, Resident Evil 4, Zelda, and a ton of others on Wii. Innovation is what Nintendo does best. So You want to pick up a PS4 cause the game will LOOK better, well not my problem. More power does NOT make the game, I mean Wii U games are not going to look like crap. The gamepad according to IGN freaking makes the game, BOPS2. Innovation and new and fun ways to play is what Nintendo is all about. If you want a new way to play and Innovation, WHY WOULD YOU NOT GET A WII U... DISAGREE ALL YOU WANT ITS TRUE..I mean really go ahead and buy the same type of game over and over again on PS3 and its the same thing OVER AND OVER... Wii U offers something different. With the Wii U you can Use Pro controller, Wii remotes, gamepad, whatever you want. Use the gamepad as a HUD and your Pro controller for gameplay......I am sorry but Innovation is here. Go ahead and play the same crap the same way over and over again that is your choice....The Wii U is also at least 50% more powerful than PS3 I DONT CARE WHAT YOU THINK...here is PROOF ON THAT POINT. http://www.nintendolife.com...

[N4GDgAPc]

Your comments are funny. You mention nintendo games having innovation which the games you mention have nothing really innovated about it except doing some cool things with galaxy.

Metroid didn't innovate anything that hasn't been done before in previous games. Its a first person shooter but you can role in a ball. Red Steel was a piece of crap with bug fest heaven. Which I hear Red Steel 2 did better but nothing great. Resident Evil 4 came out on the gamecube. it didn't revolutionize the wii, it was a port. Zelda hasn't had any innovation in many years. Its still the exact same game since Orcarina Of time.

Only way I will say nintendo comes up with great innovation if they actually start making some new IP's

[chronoforce]

Firstly; Metroid is not a full first person shooter its and adventure game first, if it was a first person shooter it would be 1 a dimensional "get to the waypoint" game and full of "action set pieces", Metroid games have always wanted players to explore their surroundings something no other shooter had done,I would like to know the previous games that came before it I certainly haven't played them. Have you even played a metroid game?

to innovate is to change something, not just the same but better and by that definition Metroid and the Wii U is full of it.

secondly;People talk about for example about Sony creating new I.P( which is a good thing), well they had to since some of biggest games on the PS2 went multi-plat like metal gear solid and final fantasy.lets look at Sony's original I.P crash,ratchet and clank, jak and daxter,the GT series to name a few. The best selling game that was a work of their hands last gen was Gran Turismo and it is the best selling this gen too but they cant rely on Gran turismo alone.

Ratchet and clank and jak are good games but they don't sell enough. Sony need lots of new I.P, being an older more established company Nintendo don't, just look at PS all stars the game arguably wouldn't have even been possible last gen and Microsoft all stars isn't even possible they would resort to having different types of covenant as a playable characters. Nintendo need maybe 3 or 4 new I.P though ultimately they want I.P that lasts

[1upgamer99]

Uhh, really? Have you even played the games you are knocking? On other systems (I have a high end PC and a PS3) you have knock offs and repeat after repeat, Sure on Nintendo you have repeats, BUT it remains fresh and FUN. Lets see Halo 1,2,3,4, Halo Reach, Halo Wars, ...and so on. Now You could say Mario this and that, BUT when Mario is in a Title (and there are tons of em) It means FUN.....when You have a game like Halo it is kind of like Metroid, and you don't see Nintendo doing Metroid 1,2,3,4 and more than 3 other spin offs in less than 10 years. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN ON NINTENDO because they CARE about the games and want not just to make money, but make memories Innovation, yeah Zelda, Mario, Sin and Punishment, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, the list for them goes on and on. Microsoft has Halo, Sony has Sly cooper, and others, BUT both Sony and Microsoft go with what Nintendo has already done and run with it. You watch, the gamepad NINTENDO has come up with is AMAZING and guess what in a year for Microsoft and in a year and a half for Sony they will have one as well....NINTENDO once again will be first and the rest will COPY...Nintendo has always been the leader in INNOVATION. So go ahead and play Halo 18 and Playstation wanastars. I will play Smash Bros, Metroid, Zelda, Sin and Punishment, BOPS2 Looking better than PS3 Or Xbox with added 2nd screen.

[Flatbattery]

Where to start..............?

[kesvalk]

talk about great games, then talk about red steel

u2funny dude!

[Picnic]

Well there's a game called Playstation Allstars Battle Royale on the PS3 which is doing what Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. did so you do the maths.

But the truth is that when Sony announces a genuinely interesting concept like Puppeteer, a resurrection of the detailed 2D platformer before 'floaty physics games' like Rayman Orgins became associated with that, nobody talks about it.

[Axonometri]

Not dead just moved to much smaller groups without the massive media abilities. Big publishers and game overseers don't like innovation or change. It scares them because innovative ground pushers are risk takers.

Where as small indies literally live on having to be ground breakers and innovative.

[Picnic]

It doesn't necessarily make indie games better though. I recently played Sam and Max- The Devil's Playhouse and loved it. It's a genre that went out of fashion when 3D gaming came in. But I wouldn't trust a new 'indie' developer to do it justice, going all silly when a bit of seriousness is required. It still needs a developer with experience so that the dry humour works.

[Axonometri]

That goes for just about everything though. Is it not? point taken though

[NYC_Gamer]

Nope,the indie developers are the ones bringing fresh experiences.