Video Game Innovations You May Take For Granted

When someone has played video games for decades it is inevitable that they will eventually be bitten by the nostalgia bug. Compilations, collections, emulators and DLCs have made playing classic games easier than ever, but sometimes when I go back to play some of these games it becomes clear that video game design is a constantly evolving thing. Even though a game’s core mechanics and story may hold up, it’s hard not to imagine that some modern gamings standards would have improved it greatly. Some of the most common features of games today are absent from some of history’s biggest games. Like all good things, you never realize how much you like something till it’s gone. So here is a short list of some features you young (and old) gamers may be taking for granted these days.

[yewles1]

I LOVE my PS1 and PS2, but when people bring up memory card without mentioning Neo Geo, I cringe.

[GiantJedi]

I miss memory cards, don't know why.

[knifefight]

I do: convenience.
(Going to a friend's place for gaming, and so on)

[Pillville]

That's why we have USB thumb drives now.

[guigsy]

Yeah but I remember the PS1 memory cards only having like 15 blocks of storage, so it meant having to delete old saves whenever you got a new game.

[Xfanboy]

why is memory cards innovative? HDD's have been used for gaming even before ps1!! & also mouse is the first motion controller for games!!

just my facts & opinions..

[Eiffel]

Because of simple convenience, say you were to go to a friends house and you wanted to show him/her this save point of a game or play a fighter with all the characters unlocked. Instead of say, having to go through the whole thing over again and or lugging your bulky console over.

Pop the memory card in and you're set. Memory Cards were pretty damn innovative for their time.

[GodsHand]

I don't think hot swap of HDD was around at the time. Besides that Memory cards were mainly used for disc based media on a home console, as a cartridge(N64, i know they had memory cards as well, but that was mainly for making money, because the main feature of the slot on the controller was for the rumble feature.) had the abilty to save data on to the game itself. Take a look at the PSP you still need a memory card to take advantage of saving data, assuming you use the UMD aspect of the system.

[crwatkins]

Actually, onboard storage like HDD are what I discuss in the article. Memory cards are more of a response to the innovation of the disc based media ;)

[Ashby_JC]

I think the biggest innovation that is takin for granted...

1. Is how awesome games look compared to years past. Even the worst game on current systems look better then the best games of the past.

2. Online connectivity. How easy it is to get online and play against other live ppl..AND talk to them. I still think its amazing!

3. And lastly...I think its taking for granted HOW HARD it is to make the games that we love. If it wasnt hard then all DEVS would have awesome games.

[Perjoss]

Games development is not always about it being too hard, there are many other factors involved, like a publisher forcing a game out the door before its ready, or people in suits making decisions where they should not. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in some meetings where someone with 'power' has their idea approved over an idea from a really talented designer.

[Ashby_JC]

Taking my #3 further based on your response.

Im simply basing it on games that come out that are good and very good. Getting trashed for some crazy reasons.

I think that some take it for granted what goes into making a game. And as you added battling with the suits im sure is a pain in the arse.

The artist verse the suits. So yeah that battle makes it HARD as well. Bubbles.

[crwatkins]

Honestly, I don't think anyone takes graphics for granted. Working in a video game store, it's amazing how many people I overhear refusing to play an amazing game just because the graphics are slightly dated or not in a style they personally appreciate.

Online connectivity is something I think a lot of younger games take for granted though :)

[Ashby_JC]

Thats the point I was making somewhat crwtkins.

If I understand what you wrote. Is that some customers refuse to buy a game because its a older game (dated) or other reasons (art style).

I say take for granted as in....some dont realize how awesome most of the current gen games look...even the low rated games have decent gfx.

So games like (at least on this site lol) Killzone and uncharted are put on a pedastal...and other games that look awesome are crapped on because they dont live up to this other titles.

I remember back in the early 90s working in a Blockbuster (yes im 38 lol) ... and I used to try and put customers on t awesome movies that werent new releases and the majority would be like...I want something new yadda yadda....

I would say...just cause its older..it doesnt get stale lol...a good-great movie will be awesome no matter how old it is!

I just watch The Matrix for the 15th time the other day...I will love it 10-20 years down the road....RANT over lol!