What happened to video games? They used to be simplistic yet challenging, cheap yet replayable, and pixelated yet awe-inspiring. Now, it seems that there is too much focus on the new technologies (especially with the addition of gaming via internet) and not enough where it really counts. Take this for example, I bought an Xbox 360 three years ago, and since then I’ve been through four of them, and not a recurring problem, different ones each time.
When the warranty ended, one year per box, there was nothing left for me in Microsoft products and moved to Sony. Since the recent switch there have been little to no issues. That being said, the Playstation 3 put such a gaping hole in my pocket that the bill for Obama’s health plan couldn’t fit into it, and that missing money still hurts today. Not only was the Playstation around $500, games can cost anywhere from $45-$85 (depending on popularity/edition), and accessories can vary in high prices, all of which are a continuous strain on a person with(out) a paycheck.
That’s not how it used to be, when we were kids it was cool to play video games. We’d take turns at being Mario and Luigi, and if there were more than two of us around we’d rotate per each death, it only makes sense. Then came a miracle; the introduction of multiplayer, and then the introduction of good multiplayer. Anyone who played N64 will tell you that James Bond: Goldeneye is one of the greatest multiplayer titles ever, and was the beginning of a great trend (which died only too young) in videogames. Perfect Dark soon followed with the addition of “bots,” the second greatest invention ever; it allowed you and friends to set scenarios and work toward a common goal, killing bots.
The best part was the lasting quality of all the consoles; my Genesis, Super Nintendo, N64, and Playstation still work with little to no trouble (you just gotta blow really hard into the cartridge). They didn’t even cost as much, yeah they’d set you back $250, but that’s half the price! That’s the thing that really gets to me; I paid $400 for an xbox 360, luckily I didn’t have to pay any extra because it was covered by warranty, but that is an ass ton of money. Even under the short one-year warranty these pieces of garbage wouldn’t last; it took me four to realize how shitty of a product they are.
My biggest problem with videogames of today is the loss of tangible social human interaction— and no more bots. With the addition of the Internet to everyday consoles, the average gamer is able to connect with millions of other idiots just like him/herself (Xbox Live= $50 a year; Playstation Network= free; Wii Online= free) to crusade for the highest gamer score. This “future technology” has completely disregarded the off-line multiplayer; it hardly exists outside of sports games.
Now, what is the point of owning one of these machines if I’m not going to play with real people? I don’t want to play kowang789 from Ho Chi Minh City. I just want to chill with my friends and occasionally turn the Playstation on. This of course, is getting harder and harder, I find myself replaying games instead of buying new ones. It sucks because there is nothing I want to do more than stimulate the economy. Where is logic? Where is reliability? Where is affordability? I’m sorry to inform you that they are dead; along with VHS and Auto-tune, videogames that we know and love are never coming back.
How do you feel about the internet gaming craze?
Comments (33)
The affordability is what really gets me. I work as a nanny and don't get paid the best so how can I get a new game that I really want?
It is true that some games have become so easy but that is why I love my Wii so much. I can download old school games like Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars :)
And you are right about the online gaming. I much rather play with friends than strangers too. I just don't get a kick out of that. That is why I was so happy when they game out with the new Super Mario Bros. My friends and I literally all gather around the TV and play for hours.
I think this is the best post I've seen in awhile. Kudos.
God damn. You sound like my brother, who I essentially say is the, "Amish of the video game world." Sorry, but internet gaming is pretty fucking awesome.
Sure, I enjoy having my friends come over and play on the same console, Rock Band, Tales of, various splitscreen shooters [why you said only sports games I'll never know], but internet gaming has both convenience, AND the option; the convenience of still playing with your real life friends, who may be unavailable to go to you but stay in their own place [you know, that doesn't make a lot of sense, but they could also be lazy, which as far as I'm concerned is a valid excuse somedays] and the option of not only playing with complete and total strangers, but what about people you do know who live far away? Either you've moved, they've moved, or you've met them on the internet or something. One of my friends lives in England and he's probably my favourite person to game with.
In fact, even single player games I love having with XBox Live connected to the internet, because with the parties and stuff I can still chat to my friends whenever. It's not a phone call, and you're probably not paying attention to it as if it was, but it's nice to have. Internet gaming is simply the shit.
And as for Playstation reliability, I dunno... XBox's are characteristic for breaking down [and I'm not going to deny this, a lot of my friends XBoxs have gone to shit of course], but I'm pretty sure in my year and a half of owning one, it's freezed... once? Maybe twice? My brother, on the other hand, has gone through 2 PS3s, and is on his third. He only got his third cause his second one broke down will still under the one year warranty. I mean, that's probably because he uses his as an all-around media center, and for like 12 hours a day, but shit son.
One word. Ebay. I refuse to pay 60 bucks for a game. Fuck that!
Just seems like we're paying more money for shitter systems. So far my ps3 is still in working condition as is my ps2 from about 7 years back (?). My dumb ass gave away my Nintendo 64 and now I'm stuck with an psp which shitty games. I'm not much of an hardcore gamer but I'm already getting tired of playing GTA 4.
I've never done the online thing either. Just seems a bit too much for me. I rather have a friend sitting there laughing that at me because I can't shoot. And besides the fact even though it's "free" Im sure there is some extra crap that I'll have to buy to be able to play
Dragon age anyone?
You can still play offline, you can play inline with your friends if you hit that "invite" button on there name in friend list. So you can play with you know friends! I still play games with friends offline, why can't you? I don't know how old you are, but your just stuck in the 80s way of gaming. Get MVC2 ( or when it comes out) invite some people over and play it! You got xbox? They can play Halo with you at home if you hate online so much. Pick up a copy of NFS and play at home with a buddy. Also if you don't care about the people online I guess you don't care about the people on here too. All you know about most of us is a user name. I don't get what makes you think only sport games can be played with friends at home and not online. And like I said you can still play with friends online. Two college buddies of mine beat Demon souls online together, but I guess since they were not in the same room that won't count. both live in two different parts of Queens, so that's a long car ride just to play Little Big Plaint for a hour. I get to waste gas and drive! and once again I still play Super Smash Brothers with my friends at my best friends house, so offline gaming is still alive. I can name 20 games you can play with a friend offline and 1o can go 4 way playing, so stop ranting about online gaming and let the industry grow. Man you must hate Valve more then anybody if you hate online gaming. CSS is how old and still the most played online game? Steam is free too by the way!
@Nevando@hardestlevel - I know! My cousin lives on the other cost and I see her maybe once a year! I like that I can game with her anytime I want thanks to online play! Just last night we played BC2 co-op!
@Nevando@hardestlevel - PSN is free and no you don't need to pay for anything at all. Just get a bluetooth ( that you use for the phone) if you really really feel like talking with other gamers that will just not talk to you since they don't know you. I like no mics though I don't need to hear "you're a fag!" 100 times a game! Hack your PSP never buy games for it again. Peace Walker was a fun game so shut up about it not having good games.
I can agree on both sides of this. While I do enjoy playing my games online. It isn't and should never be the sole purpose of a game. *cough, cough* Modern Warfare *cough cough*. But it is cool that If none of my friends are available in person I can play with some of my online friends. Also buying used games or wait til they are on sale. I never buy new games anymore. But also online playing also comes with it downsides. Like boosting, annoying kids, hackers, etc.
Sadly even though most current games generally don't hold a candle to classic games I don't see the trend changing anytime soon.
I'm 23. And, I understand that the criticism of online gaming was ruthless and almost unfair. I do believe there is some good things to be said of online gaming, but it only comes to me in the forms of fifa and call of duty. COD is impossible to play offline with people. The maps are built for large games, so one would have to limit oneself to the few small maps. Way back when, the levels were sized for 2-4 people. All of them. Just think Goldeneye. Anyway if this article seemed partisan it was because I was on a serious sega genesis kick at the time I wrote it. Have you guys played Moonwalker? Shit is badass
What happened is somewhere around Grand Theft Auto 3 it became cool for non-nerds to play video games; Halo introduced said non-nerds to FPS multiplayer, and X-Box live brought said non-nerds to the internet gaming world.
I was one of the old-school online gamers, playing Quake Mega Team Fortress and Half-Life Counter Strike (yes, those games were originally mods for other games) while other people were barely discovering local multiplayer.
What is more interesting, and in my opinion, annoying, was the shift in culture. Back in Quake Mega TF days, chat was full of "ns" and "gg," meaning "nice shot" and "good game." There was next to no smack talk. The advent of Roger Wilco (the big voice communications software before Ventrillo), brought about more tactical play, as well as vocalized versions of "nice shot" and "good game." It was around the advent of X-box live that the common vernacular switched to the cesspool of hatred and ignorance that infest online gaming today. It has been enough to drive me off. Unfortunately, those types are a much larger market share than us old-school nerds.
You can play rpgs...but not everyone is into that. Also, the ps3 is a lot cheaper now! And you can get the games and accessories online like through amazon. But online games are pretty addicting.
TETRIS FTW.
I remember when new SNES titles were around $70 a pop. Also keep in mind that the amount of work that went in to making older games/consoles was different (not necessarily lower - it took 4 years to make Yoshi's Island, which I consider one of the best platformers of all time) and that today's hardware is incredibly different.
I agree. The most annoying thing about playing online is the little kids that won't shut up. "Quit killing me." "I'm leaving, you guys are unfair." Blah, blah, blah. I much rather play by myself or with friends in the same room.
The old consoles were awesome! There aren't too many games these days that offer great, replayable single-player :(
I used to spend hours with my brother and cousins playing Perfect Dark, Starfox 64, and Mariokart 64. Back then being able to shoot people and STILL see them lying there dead was a big deal. Once multiplayer was created with N64 it changed the way I looked at videogames (and sucked up LOTS of time during the summer playing those games).
Auto Tune is dead?
While I agree that the older console games are better than today's console games (Chrono Trigger, the EARLY Mega Man X games, early Final Fantasies etc etc etc), I have a HUGE soft spot for World of Warcraft. This game, I feel, is internet gaming done RIGHT (or incredibly, incredibly wrong, depending on whether or not you wish for a life of your own).
The only game I play online is Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce on the 360. I bought my own copy of the game so my brother and I could play, but he would rather play Halo and Gears of War, which just pisses me off since he was bugging me to get my own 360 (I play on my dad's console). Fortunately, I can play online with other people. Unlike more popular games, the people who play Strikeforce don't care about trash talking or even really talking at all. I can have human-controlled allies without having to talk to them. It would be nice to have some of my actual friends to play with, but I'll have to take what I can get.
i don't entirely agree with this. first of all in the 80's minimum wage was not what it is now. you're aware of inflation. did you pay for game consoles when you were a kid? i'm sure your rents felt gaming systems were pricey during that time. you are correct about their durability.
the ps3 is pricey, as well as their games, but who told you to go out and get the games when they first come out? i usually wait till the price drops. also, accessories: i use a bluetooth and an old keyboard with my ps3...didn't have to pay extra.
i've had my ps3 for years. no problems. i enjoy online gaming. i do fear technology and our dependence on it, but not in the gaming world. brings people together. game smarter, not harder with your wallet.
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To point out the alternate flaw with video games is the recent addition of downloadable content(I.E: stuff they could put in, but want to charge you extra for it.). I bought Mass effect 2 a couple of months ago, and I was having trouble adjusting to paying for extra missions they could've put in the game.
I don't like the internet gaming thing because I like to actually be able to interact with someone and see them. On something like Xbox live, I'd feel like I'm fucking talking to myself.
Interesting thing about price is that comparatively, PS3 isn't that expensive. Money was worth more when NES and all the rest, so that $250 actually meant more than it does now. Now the dollar is a cheap piece of shit, so $500, while still kind of a ball-busting amount, is comparatively cheaper. Also, prices for old systems NOW are kind of a pain and nevermind the prices for games for them.
I basically agree with a majority of this post.
My favorite console is STILL my PS2. If it ever ever broke on me I'd probably cry. After, jeez, eight years it's still 100% reliable and absolutely no problems with it at all.
Though at the moment I've got an N64, PS2, PS3, and Wii all hooked up into my TV. I can honestly say that the Wii is probably the most neglected. (I hated the idea of the controller when it came out, hate it even more now that I've owned one for a while.) The N64 is actually the only one I've had problems with though, sadly. The one I have now I stole off a friend (it was collecting dust in a box!) after my old one just gave up on life and permanently died on me.
As far as gaming goes, I refuse to do online gaming. I don't like the idea of playing with people I don't know. Mostly because people tend to be sore losers and get way too worked up over it. While that may limit my gaming options nowadays, I don't actually think that's too horrible. =/ Sadly, I don't have the time for games that I used to, so narrowing my focus on one or two at a time is enough for me.
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