The Perfect Game

Does it exist? If not, then why not? Resources? Lack of technical skill? Laziness? Maybe its already here. What does it mean to you? We all have one. Usually one that someone else finds that couldn't be more imperfect. What does it even mean? Is it even definable? With a word thrown around so often as such, shouldn't it be? These questions and countless more, are amongst the firsts that should pop into our heads when asked what is the perfect game? We may not know, but fortunately, we clearly know what it isn't. Excuse my opinion, but I can tell you if you're looking for it, it is further from this current generation than any of the past or any to come. And here's why...

2005 introduced to the world the 7th generation of home consoles. Before we even knew what we were in stored for, rumors, predictions and just plain conjecture, plagued the information highways with more speculation and half-truths than any of us care to remember. The Xbox 360 entered and hit the ground hard, running. Sony and Nintendo followed the following year with their console entries. We didn't see the true fruits of the labor of any of these corporations, until about 4 years into the respective consoles lifespans. In inclusion with the PC, gaming consoles in 2011, holds the most promising hand in delivering a litany of unparalleled gaming software and hardware capabilities, never before seen in gaming. Boasting unprecedented processing power and innovative motion controlling, the gaming generation we currently reside in provides plenty of backed-up testament from its past to ascertain its place as making this era, the most exciting. With that evidence present, it would only make sense that a person with no prior gaming knowledge would choose this generation before any other if given the task to seek the perfect game.....and he would fail miserably.

Every time a veteran gamer is asked to name his favorite titles of all time, the list usually consists of games deriving from the Super Nintendo, Playstation 1, and PS2 eras....usually. Why is that? Is it because those who've been gaming longer have a natural tendency to lean towards the games of yesterday? Doubt it. Has the longevity of playing games over time tarnish and taint their judgement of what makes a game perfect in their eyes? Perhaps. Should we be even asking these guys, I mean what do they know? The truth is, there are too many variables to consider when trying to isolate a single reason as to why this consensus is so consistent. The only conclusion we can draw from THAT conclusion is that, those who've been gaming longer seem to be relatively dissatisfied with todays games on a general level. So what is it about last gen and the generations before, that was so good that is now absent from todays gaming generation? One word: Everything.

There is something very peculiar about this generation that we haven't seen in a very long time. That thing is experimentation. Never before, has a generation been so plagued, so overwhelmed with test experimentation on hardware and software developments. In this gen alone, we have seen the mainstreaming of motion controls, controller-less hardware, online dominion, compatible hardware integration, achievement lists, battery operated controllers, multiple SKU's of a particular hardware, DLC, DRM, firmware updates, software updates, remote system shut-downs, HDD swaps, PC-intergration, HD resolution, "True" HD resolution, DDM, online services...the list goes on. All of these things in some part may have existed in the past but never as prevalent as it is today. Believe it or not, these things were created to make the gaming experience a heck of a lot more fun, and in some areas it actually did. However, with potential solutions comes potential problems, and now our video gaming experience is susceptible to more things going wrong then right....and that unfortunate trend is steadily increasing. However dismal the situation may seem, these issues aren't applied to the games themselves. So let's briefly talk about those.

At first glance, experimentation may seem like the right path to choose when developing for a market with an unquenchable thirst for innovation. Yet, never before has a generation suffered from more sequels, rehashes, remakes, reboots and reminders of bad games. Right now I lack the resources to create a chart, but I'm sure the total of all of the sequels, reboots and remakes of all the games in this gen, would make up for more than 85% of all the games out now versus new IP's. So you see, the perfect game can't exist today, because chances are, it already existed yesterday.

My point was to make clear why is it games today are the last things to be considered perfect. A lot of questions were asked in the beginning of this passage and perhaps none of them were answered. While writing this article, I discovered that neither I, nor any one can find the perfect game. However, I did discover what the perfect game isn't, or rather, where it isn't. Too many gems that have already done what so many games yearn to perfect today, exist in history as testaments of gaming/development perfection. Don't get me wrong, today, now more so than ever, is THE most exciting time to be a gamer. The potential, coupled with the technological breakthroughs, creates a concoction that generates inconceivable possibilities of what may come. Storytelling in gaming has never been better, and neither has gameplay. Graphics are more close to looking realer than ever and games are laced with orchestrated masterpieces. Its unfortunate though, that tomorrow and yesterday was and will be, much more engrossing than today can or will ever be. An unfortunate paradox, if we will ever have to see one.

[a08andan]

I believe that there is a very big reason that most people overlook, including you. And I don't mean that as criticism, you're post was great^^ And this reason isn't the only reason. A lot of things affects this of course.

Gamer fatigue. People who play games a lot will be more resistant to new games. They will stay true to only the games they absolutely love. They might try other games occasionally but are unable to see the game for what it is, since they keep comparing it with their "favorite" game. I Have done this myself, especially when it comes to MMO's. Its really hard to play any other MMO than World of Warcraft for me.

People who play games a lot will not appreciate new games as much to a certain degree. They are also quicker on judging a game.

This is what I think. And I am one of those gamers. Also, the above might be a reason to why people keep mentioning "old games" as their favorite simply because they played those games in the beginning of their "gaming-era". They could appreciate them more back then.

[UnSelf]

First, thx for reading and providing a comment, you make a very good point. Yes, you are right in everything you say, which in turn you inadvertently help my point. The idea was to show that there is no real, conclusive way to find out why there is no perfect game. The variables are just too infinite as you have proven. Following that conclusion, i intended to point out that the only way to understand why you wont find the perfect game in this gen is not because of any variable, but because of the state the gaming industry is in now.

The truth is, this absolution or consistency (if u wanna call it that) exists in most entertainment mediums.

Older music is heralded as the greatest in the musical epoch.

Older movies are claimed to be much more engrossing and overall better films than contemporary ones.

I dont wish to get into a debate as to what does the word "better" means as i only have 2 bubbles, but there seems to be a lack of 'spiritual integrity' that is lost not only in the gaming industry, but in movies and music as well.

[wquach]

a08andan

Excellent, excellent point. Bubbles.

[ABizzel1]

First it's completely personal preference. But I don't think there is a perfect game for me yet. There have been many games I consider great, and worthy of extreme praise such as The Legend of Zelda: OoT, Uncharted 2, and MGS4. However, I don't think any of them are perfect games. For a game to be perfect to me doesn't mean it has no faults, a perfect game to me means that game satisfies me with a deep engrossing and original story, the gameplay is effortless and I never have to think about what I'm doing to play the game, the pacing moves everything along and never drags or speeds through areas, the graphics but more importantly the art style shows me things I can't experience in everyday life. These are all things that would be put into making my perfect game, as well as a cast that makes me emotionally involved. Where the industry is now, my perfect game can't be done, but over the next console generation I see it edging closer and closer to reality.

[a08andan]

It was my intention to add to your arguments :) A complement
to what you said in other words. So I wanted to help your point ^^
I voted for another bubble for you for "Well said" btw. No need to respond to this due to your lack of bubbles. :)

[Godmars290]

Don't you mean lack of experimentation? The raise of first and third person preservative games? Then the over-focus on graphics which has actually restricted graphic styles. Too much has to be invested into a title to make it presentable at certain standards to risk on chance, so no chances are being taken. And the overall quality of games suffers.

[UnSelf]

read the 2nd to last sentence of the 4th paragraph and the entire 5th paragraph

[wquach]

Godmars does make an excellent point regarding the risks games seem to take less of this gen due to ballooning budgets, due to the need to appeal to this generation of gamers so fixated on graphics and spectacle that would otherwise dismiss a game without say, the HD treatent. They've been spoiled imo. When you have investors and companies to appease financially, developers have to think twice after seeing a monster FPS like Call of Duty gross $1 billion in a week. The same exact thing is happening with movies, where established franchises are releasing further sequels or remakes are being made out of the security that a fanbase is already intact to at least meet budgets.

This is another topic worth exploring, what the majority of gamers want or are interested in buying and its influence on what developers make.

It's a shame though to see developers have to hold back on their ideas out of market reach/profitability concerns.

[Tommykrem]

Well, everything is relative, so it's impossible to make a game that everyone will enjoy. And it is of course impossible to make a flawless game. You can almost always find a flaw (no matter how minor) with every game.

Metal Gear Solid 4 for instance, had a team with great technical skill as well as a console that at the time was considered limitless, it had plenty of financial resources as well as a well built engine, but if you start thinking about every minor flaw you're likely to find a few 1000. So goes for short games like Limbo and flOwer. Some textures are misplaced, every now and then the frame rate drops. It's impossible to make a perfect game, and what more people have a different idea of what the perfect game would be so if it wasn't already impossible to make a perfect game for one person, you still have to make a perfect game for 6.000.000.000 (if it's going to be PERFECT that is)

So most people consider close to perfect as perfect, which is fair, given the gravity of the word perfect.

[InfiniteJustice]

That was an interesting read, and you make some really good points to get people thinking about what a 'perfect' game is. But like people have stated, the variables are infinite - you could argue in the end it all comes down to personal taste (just like everything else in the world) or it could be an argument that a game is perfect on a technical level.

Either way things will always end up tangled with other peoples idea of 'perfect'. As far as I know, a perfect game for me is an RPG where I can lose myself in a huge world full of character. For another, the perfect game could be an FPS and playing against other people online is the perfect scenario.

Of course, you can always question how even your favourite game could be better, in which case as gamers I think we're always looking for that 'perfect' game. Anyway, that got my brain ticking... Bubbles to you

[wquach]

Part 1

Another great read. (I apologize for not being able to respond to your last reply...studying CONSUMES me. I do want to mention though that regardless of what I said (about the intro), and for writers in general, don't worry about what people comment on, critical or not. Stick by your writing and be proud of what you wrote. If it seems like you do agree with certain comments, take those into consideration for future writing. I think the only need to edit would be updates to factual errors like a mislink or misinformation.)

There are a many great questions and issues posed in this article, and in reading it through, I've realized that it's more apparent that the article talks more of this generation of games, and their qualities and the standards to which they're held up to moreso than an understanding of "the perfect game" per se (which you stated nicely in the first sentence of your last paragraph). The title and intro paragraph will throw a few people off though in thinking that the article is a dissection of the definition and criteria towards "perfect."

"Perfection" in any field is subjective, but there are certain criteria that has more merit to defining something as "great" in a field. But in reading your article and thinking about what you've said, you've actually discussed a few qualities that you hold highly in defining a great game. It seems you're pointing to innovation and originality as one (the comment on experimentation and sequels/reboots etc. this gen).

So it would be more appropriate to really focus on "The Current State of Gaming" moreso than the auxiliary topic of the "perfect game."

[wquach]

Part 2

I also greatly appreciated this comment you've made and it's actually another question worth exploring:

"Older music is heralded as the greatest in the musical epoch.

Older movies are claimed to be much more engrossing and overall better films than contemporary ones."

Why are examples from older generations as heralded as the pinnacle of certain mediums? Are they actually better in their regarded fields than modern examples? If people lived in those eras and considered them better than examples today, is that due to nostalgia or the fact that they may have had more impact on the person at a point in time where they are more impressionable? Should a classic game from older gens hold any more weight in being better than a great game this gen, especially if the current generation of gamers find the current state of games appealing?

An example of this in my opinion would be that regarding movies (I'm a bit of a movie buff in addition to games), I can't for the life of me put down a classic movie like The Godfather or Alien as a favorite. I understand the merits, exceptional qualities, and pioneering efforts of those movies, but I just couldn't 'relate' on a deeper level after watching and growing up with a different generation of movies, even ironically oftentimes those that wouldn't be possible without for instance, Alien. That isn't to say that I wouldn't ever put down certain classics as favorites (love Casablanca), but I feel like I in general, derive greater enjoyment from movies from the 90's and beyond for example.

This also plays into the definition of "perfect" given that it's one thing to like a movie/game/music etc., it's another to call it "perfect." Perhaps to some people, the definition of perfect to them includes its value as entertainment or enjoyment (which then goes under further subjectivity). To others, there is a distinction (someone may enjoy Transformers and call it a favorite, but to say it is a "perfect" movie would be laughable).

Sorry for digressing.

[wquach]

Part 3

On topic though, the current state of gaming imo, has a larger burden to innovate. The same applies to movies and other mediums. When a field or genre is new, it has more room for fresh ideas and pioneering efforts. Not to mention that if someone enjoys something a lot (for instance, sports-triumph-movies), nowadays, when a plethora of those have been released and done in a variety of forms, it's more difficult to do said project without coming off as overly unoriginal and cliched.

So we see more games for instance, that merry a plethora of genres together - Uncharted for instance. And yet, the game doesn't innovate in one area per se, but it does in being such an excellent blend of exploration, platforming, shooting, adventure, and story that I find it as compelling as a game that innovated the 3rd person shooting mechanic like Resident Evil 4 (yes we can discuss Winback but RE4 did it so amazingly well, especially pioneering the subgenre into legitimacy/popularity this current gen). Both games are favorites of mine.

On that note, I think innovation can be seen, maybe not as radically, as trying to "perfect" and improve the mechanics or workings of a genre. That's what I see more in this generation of games. Not bounds and leaps into radical games (the most innovative feature I can say this gen would be motion gaming, though it's unfortunate it hasn't been compelling as one would think), but evolutionary improvements in immersion and gameplay mechanics.

Keep in mind though that this generation of games also includes the booming wealth of indie titles that are cropping up through portables, PSN and Xbox Live, flash-made, etc. More indie developers are able to create and release their games over a variety of platforms and reach audiences on a much more accessible scale then ever before. There are small games that are made on little budget, yet hold as much, and oftentimes more "innovation" as big budget productions. Why? Without fancy graphics to focus on, it's down to the core, the essential gameplay to be compelling enough to drive the game; which you could say was more the focus of previous generation games and thus is why gamers hold games of previous gens in higher regard than those made now.

Sorry for all the redundancy I'm saying or digression. I'm just rambling at this point or reinforcing what you've already wrote, and what other comments here have made.

But yea, excellent read man. Keep it up.

[sdtarm]

Troll!! this guy is a troll!! Look hes only got 2 Bubbles, another PlaySlave!! :)

[Mista T]

no such thing, every game lacks something in a certain aspect.

[ubiquitious]

Killzone 2

/end blog

[vishant101]

take your stupid fan-boyish opinion some where else
there are so many games that require much greater praise the kz2 it was supposed to be the halo killer but here we are and guess what killlzone 2 is only referred to for graphics there are games like Mario galaxy which sends killzone to the graveyard in terms of game play and sales

[vishant101]

nice article btw zelda and halo were almost perfect in my opinion thats why we cant get a game wth better mp or gameplay the only thing that gets better is the graphics