Not too long ago, graphics were all the rage. Now it seems a new plague has emerged to ruin fun everywhere: Presentation. What I mean by this is an emphasis on creating games that are a “cinematic experience,” a combination of aesthetics and storytelling, where the gameplay serves as a mean to progress the story.
Twinfinite: “War may never change, but the prices of rare games do!”
"And lastly, famous Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling helped to create the action-RPG’s setting. What’s really fascinating, though, is that the game was partially financed by taxpayers from Rhode Island (which allegedly lost the state millions of dollars). Yikes!"
1. Now infamous Schilling
2. No allegedly, it did. And they couldn't pay it back.
3. What really lost the money wasn't the SP release but the MMO they were working on. This was supposed to be an introduction into the MMO world.
I hate counting limited editions for these lists. I mean, they're made to be rare and expensive. It's far more interesting to hear about the NCAAs (even if most people know that one already) and the El Chavos than some massive hit that came with a $200 statue at retail.
Me too. Here's the best I can do:
El Chavo Kart $90.14
NCAA Football 14 $87.72
Spiderman: Edge of Time $75.94
Spiderman Web of Shadows $75.09
Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions $67.76
Wow, El Chavo Kart is not at all what I expected by the name. 100% looks like a Sackboy Kart game.
It's so odd that so many Spider-Man games are seemingly given lower print runs, even if they're not the best games.
Most Xbox games don’t hold as much value compared to other systems. Kameo, Blue Dragon, Last Remnant , and a handful or 2 of other games that I kept.
One of the biggest TV and movie tropes in the last decade has been the multiverse, the idea of exploring multiple dimensions to uncover alternate versions of existing ideas. From both a business and creative perspective, it makes sense why established franchises are shaking things up in this way.
However, there aren't many video games latching on to this trend, as rendering multiple worlds in real-time is a difficult feat and the medium is relatively young in comparison to its contemporaries, making crossover opportunities more difficult. Still, there are a few great titles that manage enough to overcome these challenges, and here are some of the best examples.
While I love someone mentioning Planescape, not really multiverse. Planes and dimensions, yes. But, they are typically their own locations and are very rarely tied to another 'verse' let alone another plane. The only things that are directly tied are the ethereal and material planes. Otherwise, they are dimensions created of their own design and goals by the creator/owner and not comprised of 'their own version of another dimension'.
See what a side-by-side comparison of Clockwork Revolution vs Bioshock Infinite looks like.
I think presentation has been around for a long time. It has been more prevalent in story driven games. I disagree with some the author's points.
The shift has been moving away from single player, story driven games to the online, multiplayer, socially driven kind. The lack of focus on gameplay has been a recurring problem throughout most of gaming's history.
The only recent trend I'm aware of is the shift back toward the difficulty of older games. Instead of the rewards system gamers wanted to be punished.
The box art has changed because video games are no longer about quality. Games have become a social based piece of entertainment based on popularity. It matters more who's playing it moreso than what they're playing. As long as a game is fun while playing with someone else it will be judged on those merits.
That's why the box talks more about it's reputation, popularity, and game modes. I guess this type of "presentation" is the form of distraction the author is trying to express.
From my observation it seems these companies are trying to enhance every game with a single idea or product. In the case of XBox Live/PSN the service, in theory, is supposed to enhance every game we play due to it's ability to bring friends together. The same can be said for trophies and achievements where every game is enhanced by using a reputation status. We can say the same for the Wii controller, camera eyes, and nongaming related apps. Of these ideas, all fall under a socially based value system. If one were to remember this single theme or concept when thinking about today's gaming then everything becomes much clearer. Games have become a fashion statement just like clothing. If someone with status wears it then expect many others to follow.
It explains why E3 shows are rated on their entertainment values (i.e. celebrity appearance, music, jokes, etc.) rather than game offerings. I would agree that focus on gameplay is more distracted now than it ever was. To top it all off each new generation of consoles leads to less incentives to focus on gameplay as the extra power is a renewed crutch to carry the gamer's interactive experience. It should always have been gameplay first and everything else used as tools to enhance...not replace. You can start looking at Indie game developers and small time companies for the gameplay you crave.