It has been almost eight years since I first picked up the Nintendo Entertainment System for the first time. The details have been lost, but what I do remember is a grand journey through pixelated game characters with red caps, ducks floating across my television screen, and the ocasional quest to find that last key. All of these games, Mario, Duck Hunt, and Zelda have left a lasting impression on me... for one reason or another.

Fast forward to 2006. My latest gaming memories stretch farther back into the past than I would like. I have found myself scouring my rack of old games for those classic titles that I played growing up as a kid. One may ask why I am not out at my local game store purchasing the great new games that have just been released, but the answer is simple, most of these games are far from great.

I can be seen as the second – third generation of gamer. I was born in the very early nineties allowing me to experience the classic consoles such as NES, and Sega Genesis, but forcing me to grow up on the new age consoles such as Nintendo 64, and of course my computer. You could say I have been through most of what gaming has offered, from 2d to 3d.

Let me begin at the where it all started... well started for me that is. I grew up in a neighborhood full of kids, most of whom, like me, owned an NES. Consoles at that time were still only secondary to me. I would much rather have been outside playing capture the flag with all the kids, as opposed to playing my console. Of course, when boredom struck, my NES was always right there for me to pick up and play.

At that time my computer was pretty much worthless. It was mostly Tetris, DOS, and Windows 3.1. It was not until Windows 95 was introduced into my life that computer gaming overcame console gaming for me. NES was still my main console up until the mid-90's. My brother had acquired a Sega Genesis, along with a plethora of Sonic the Hedgehog games. Sonic steered me away from NES, which was eventually given away by my mother to those less fortunate.

Shortly after Genesis was introduced, so was Windows 95. This opened up thousands of gaming possibilities. I was soon playing games like Wolfenstein 3d, and Doom I and II. After a brief period of time, Nintendo released its 64-bit monster, the Nintendo 64. This was basically the beginning of 'real' gaming for me.

Mario 64, as most of you are probably familiar with, was an extremely creative and intuitive game. Although I was never able to complete the game myself, I witnessed my brother finish the entire game over a period of maybe 4 months. Later that year we purchased Goldeneye, along with numerous other titles, my favorite being Perfect Dark.

So... how does all of this boring history relate to the current game industry? Quite frankly it doesn't, and.. that is the problem. Why is it that I have stronger memories of games I played five years ago than of games I've played five months ago? The question has a blatantly obvious answer. Games have lost innovation.

It has been almost six months since I've picked up a new computer or console game. Nothing has sparked my interest enough for me to go out and spend $50, maybe even $60 on it. Back five years ago, I would easily have spent the same $50 I won't spend today. I was excited about games back then... I can't say the same about games these days.

The game industry needs a revival. The current agenda for most companies is to produce a gorgeous game in hopes of luring players into their trap. Publishing companies don't want to take risks. They want to produce games that will produce revenue. Back when graphics were just 'there' games had to be innovative, or else they wouldn't sell. These days games lack innovation, and those that do break from the norm are shot down by low sales.

Lately I have been pulling out my Nintendo 64 more than I have been turning on my PS2 or X-Box. ( I'll get to the computer later ) When my friends and I want to play some video games, it's not Halo we're wanting, but rather Goldeneye.. or Perfect Dark. The classic multiplayer games that we all grew up playing.

The same goes for my computer, which is my main gaming device. Lately I have been playing Operation Flashpoint, as well as some other older games. ( I will admit that the Half-Life 2 modding community has gotten me hooked on a few games, SourceForts.. ) Overall though, I have noticed that computer gaming as a whole is more innovative than console gaming. For everyone one console game I own, I have five computer games.

The new generation of consoles has only made things worse. Publishers are relying even more on graphics. Nintendo: Revolution looks promising, but I doubt it will sell as well as PS3, or even X-Box 360. The result will be less publishers rolling out Nintendo: Revolution games, which in turn will produce less revenue for Nintendo, putting it into an 'impossible to get out of' ditch.

I can wish for innovation as much I as want, but it is not going to happen. The industry need to come to grips with what they are destroying. Gaming has changed from fun, to pretty. If the industry does not tighten up and realize where it is headed, it will crash. Just as the stock market did in '87. It will recover, but it will serve as a much needed wakeup call for the industry. If I am wrong and gaming continues to grow ever more gray, then I am afraid my days are numbered.

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Hey there.

amen brother. corporate gaming sucks, theres more flash advertisements that are more innovative then some 60$ games.

thats why we have mods, and mostly, Sourceforts

The Xbox/PS2/Gamecube generation of console gaming has single handedly brought us some of the worst games ever, and I think it was the least enjoyable generation for console gaming overall. I guess it's alot to expect anyone to be able to top the N64, though.

I don't see the Xbox360 or PS3 bringing any change, we're just going to continue to sludge through the crap they put out, with the occasional few games that are worth the time.

one of my friends who had an xbox, bought HL2 for it, and the killed it. it is nothing like the computer version. half the levels are different, and the game looks like its being played on worse than a mx440 (lowest system req for HL2comp, which i played through HL2 for the first time on)

Coincidentally, stumble-upon directed me to this.
http://www.pointlesswasteoftime.com/...manifesto.html

/me slaps Stieffers around with Nintendo DS

I figured this out maybe 3 years ago, so you are kind of slow. :P

Even the game developers (real ones, not hobbyists like you have been shouting about it for last 2 years, if you read the rants in GDC 2005 you will see.

Also, Nintendo Revolution is said to be cheap and easy to develope games for so it would have more creative and innovative games, kinda like Nintendo DS. :P


:arrow: http://www.manifestogames.com/index.html

Don't worry Juhor, I felt this way for a long time. I just felt compelled to write about it today.

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Hey there.

We have lack of innotive new games to thank for mods.

After all, people wouldnt strive to make games better if they were perfect to start with. How many game mods were being produced in the good old Goldeneye age?

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http://www.stieffers.com/Other/SF_Signature_Khuskan.gif

Anyone who can play Halo two Slayer on Lockout with a bunch of friends can NOT tell me it is not even a little bit fun (unless you are easily offended by swearing ).

However, I agree with you in one way: the single player sucks.

Compare this to GoldenEye, where you had excellent MP AND SP.

I just think that, as the industry has developed and grown to have more total profits than the movies, there are simply MORE games, and therefore MORE won't be good. With games taking as long and as much to make as, again, movies, there is also much less of an incentive to make something creative, why not stick to the formula? (See HL2, minus the gravity gun). Don't you think it is incredible that something like Max Payne is hailed as a wonderful, revolutionary game, when it is simply what we have all seen a thousand times before, but with one (rather cool, admittidly) slow motion feature?

Back when there were only a couple of developers and we had already reached the limits of graphics, it was the gameplay that got the focus...Pole Position 2, anyone? ("Hey, look! You can see every blade of grass!" to the green squares on both ends of the tracks)

I dunno how to fix this, if it even can be fixed. I'd say the best way is just your own, unofficial, boycot, only buy what you think is worth buying. Then it doesn't affect you one way or the other if the industry wants to self destruct.

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"I hate to think that all my current experiences will someday become stories with no point."

Devs are missing the point. They're trying to make awesome new engines on which to host the games on, and they're making them for consoles, before porting them to every platform in existance.

They should go back and look at what made old games good.

COOPERATIVE gameplay, like perfect dark is an awesome addition to any game. Imagine how it would be in HL2 without having to use garrys mod and everyone inevitably cheating, - the huge load times.

Or quake 4...

Battlefield 2 almost got it, but then it was published by EA, so meh.

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http://www.stieffers.com/Other/SF_Signature_Khuskan.gif