http://www.barrysworld.com/news/columns.asp?Author=82&Category=6&Item=23971
The future’s bright, the futures a big grey cloud | Post a comment..
Saturday, July 7, 2001, 04:01
Today has been one of those days where I couldn’t help but think about what lies ahead. I don’t know why but today has been a random jumble of thoughts all about what lies ahead. Then whilst watching an episode (Season 1, Episode 1 to be exact) of The Sopranos, a totally excellent Mafia based TV series from the US based company HBO, there was a scene that struck home quite hard;
(Dr. Melfi): Have you ever had a prostate exam?
(Tony Soprano): Are you kidding? I don`t let anyone wag their finger in my FACE
Nah I’m only kidding that of course wasn’t the quote I was really talking about. The one that actually hit home is the one below;
(Tony Soprano): I don’t know… The morning on the day I got sick, I’ve been thinking. It’s good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that. I know. But lately I’m getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over.
That phrase The best is over started wandering through my twisted psyche over and over again, so much so that it became so very annoying that I decided that somehow I needed to get the phrase out of my head. So basically this is going to be my salvation, a column about the future of gaming (hopefully).
So what’s to come?
Well to be totally honest I’m not really sure. People have come up with various suggestions of how playing games will change in the future. Some speculated that we would all be using Virtual Reality to get our gaming kicks, but that hasn’t happened. I personally wouldn’t like to speculate how people will be playing games 10 years from now but if it’s similar to how we were all playing 10 years ago then I’m not sure that I want to.
I think what I’m getting at is What’s New? What these days is any different than it was 10 years ago? Sure graphics have improved, sure detail levels have risen, and sure games can have more players, etc. but what in essence is new? Well I’m sorry to say it boys and girls but the conclusion that I’ve come to is;
nothing
Sucks doesn’t it? But like I was saying earlier the more I think about it the more it seems like The best is over. I was looking through my, not especially varied, collection of computer games and as I flicked through this list the number of sequels just seemed to mount up. The most obvious series to use here of course it the Quake series. 3 games that are essentially identical. Now before somebody out there decided to e-mail me the exact differences between every version of Quake this is just a generalisation. But it’s an accurate one.
Today the games industry churns out FPS Shooter after FPS shooter after FPS shooter. At least 10 years ago there were still better things to come on the horizon, a FPS shooter may be blasé these days but 10 years ago we were still on platform games. But what have we got to look forward too today? Doom 3???
Of course there are exceptions. Every now and then somebody somewhere has a spark of creative genius and brings us a fantastic title. Recently the most obvious example of this is the excellent Black & White. This game is, in my humble opinion, a masterpiece. It’s a beautifully designed and crafted game that deserves nothing but your full attention.
But in the context of this column it’s just another line in a long line of God games. Can anybody say Populous or perhaps Sim City. Now like I said I love Black & White. But it’s nothing new.
Well it’s creeping up on 4am now so I’m going to wrap this one up whilst I’m still awake. Developers Please work on something new. Anything at all as long as it’s new. Contrary to the phrase that sparked this column I refuse to believe that The best is over. I don’t want to believe it, there has to be a genre out there that somebody hasn’t stumbled across yet. So I implore you;
Please find it. Please find a new genre. Please
And now onto other things…..
Wimbledon
Yeah I know, not exactly anything remarkably interesting but once again it seems good ole England has pinned all its hopes on one man, of course that man is Tim Henman. Being honest I personally don’t follow Tennis, or this man’s career but I’ve got to admit that it would be nice if somebody from this country won this tournament for a change so;
/me crosses fingers & hopes for the best
It’s so true
This little gem has been in my Internet Explorer favourites for quite a while now so I thought I’d finally be generous and share.
Real Life Comics.com is basically about a group of gamers drawn by a gamer called Greg this is definitely worth a look so click, click, click
OK that’s about it once again, as usual I’ve opened a Forum Thread so you guys can let me know what you think.
Until the next time…..
MYstIC G