Where have all the Good Games Gone?

[say1988]

Considering what this site is dedicated to, I thought the type of game I would be interested would be obvious. For the record I can't stand CiV

Well, an awful lot of people here have gamining interests other than TBS. Further there are probably a number of people here that used to be into Civ and got into the community then and have since lost interest. I am active on a couple RTS boards and can barely stand regular RTS these days, and then only if the single player has something different to offer.

Yeah, I guess it is the gameplay that kinda keeps you stuck to it, but with that type of game I still think really pretty graphics shouldn't be sidelined! I want to drool over the gorgeous view... when I drive my pickup truck over the side of a mountain.

Graphics are necessary. They don't need to be realistic (see Borderlands or Okami) or of hi-res (see Minecraft), but they are still important. Can you make a great game without graphics? Absolutely, but it is a lot harder. Though it is true that you can't make a great game without good gameplay. Particularly RPGs or any other immersive story driven games have graphics as an essential gameplay tool for building immersion (imagine Amnesia: The Dark Descent without its graphic style and quality).
In a game like civilization, immersion is so much less important (and derived in different ways) that graphics aren't as important, though they still play a role.

 

[Antilogic]

Spoiler screenshot :

You're missing out.

Whuzzat?

 

[Dachs]

Whuzzat?

 

[Disgustipated]

I don't think I played a game more than a week (If that long in 5 years). Have I change or is the games just plain crap?

They haven't gone anywhere. To be honest there are just as many good games today as there were 15 years ago. There's maybe 2 or 3 good games a year, same as before. The difference is there are many more bad games. I find myself buying the same amount of games per year as I always have (2 or 3). Right now I'm playing Skyrim, and it's amazing. Much better than Oblivion and Morrowind.

You are just going through a slump where you are bored of games. That happens. Go out and get a gf. And then when you get tired of dealing with her hormonal crap, it's back to games.

 

[SerriaFox]

That happens. Go out and get a gf. And then when you get tired of dealing with her hormonal crap, it's back to games.

Got a pregnant wife. If you think a hormonal gf is bad, just wait.

 

[Leifmk]

Got a pregnant wife. If you think a hormonal gf is bad, just wait.

And then you will have a baby, and sometimes remember when you used to have time to play games.

 

[Marla_Singer]

I probably don't know well-enough as I very rarely play video games, but they all look the same on TV commercials!! It's always about hyper realistic 3D shootings and explosions everywhere.

I have the feeling the video games were more creative in the past. Always trying to invent new concept. Since the Sims, I haven't seen anything really innovative outside maybe small multi-player Wii games which are indeed fun once in a while but that's it.

 

[Smellincoffee]

The other day I read an explanation for the increasing "sameness" of video and PC games -- namely, that the ubiquity of pirating means game developers are no longer willing to risk time and money on developing interesting/new/experimental kinds of games: they choose rather to go with the safe bets of shooters and such which have proven to be financially profitable enough to absorb the inevitable losses from piracy. There are exceptions, of course, like Will Wright's Spore...but he's made a career out of designing unconventional games.

 

[Maniacal]

Except Spore is a perfect example of publishers/some idiot in Maxis dumbing a game down because they feared the masses would be afraid of anything "too difficult" to understand. Spore sucked and it was a mere shadow of the game that Will Wright set out to design and what everyone expected. This is partly why there are so many FPS games, because major publishers aren't often willing to take risks (of course sometimes those "risks" that failed are because the publisher didn't market the game well enough).

 

[dIZZyBlIZZy]

Spoiler :

Don't get me all fidgety here. I have about a dozen Shepards ready for ME3 and we're still months away.

Oh wait about 10, I have a couple dead Shepards.

In the meantime:
@Maniacal - if you need a challenge, I found at an old game trader (and bought) Solstice for the NES. But you are right, they don't take risks, but you gotta remember they are trying to be accessible to as large a group as possible. Most games you can choose a difficulty, try doing that.

The only thing that bugs me is the tutorial stages. I guess noone reads the manual anymore?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Except Spore is a perfect example of publishers/some idiot in Maxis dumbing a game down because they feared the masses would be afraid of anything "too difficult" to understand. Spore sucked and it was a mere shadow of the game that Will Wright set out to design and what everyone expected. This is partly why there are so many FPS games, because major publishers aren't often willing to take risks (of course sometimes those "risks" that failed are because the publisher didn't market the game well enough).

This is so true

When they had the big sneak preview it looked awesome. I couldn't wait for the release date. There are few games that have disappointed me more than Spore.

 

[Disgustipated]

I'm pretty happy with the RPG genre right now. It's been a good couple of years with The Witcher 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Dragon Age (one, two was crap), and now Skyrim. I hope the success of these rpg's spawn many more. I do worry about crap like Dragon Age 2 though. If that stuff sells better than the original, then you can expect more dumbing down of RPG's.

The TBS genre unfortunately is just about dead. Although the Civ series is doing okay. I though Civ5 sucked, but I was surprised they still get a lot of Steam play (according to play statistics posted in the Skyrim thread). I didn't think that many people were still playing Civ5. I may try that game again some day with heavy mods. Maybe it will be playable.

 

[Maniacal]

Civ5 has not left the top 10 most played games on Steam list since it was released. The TBS genre isn`t really dead, the Total War series is still going strong (although it does have real time battles), but yeah there aren`t a lot of new TBS games.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Good games haven't gone anywhere.
You just forgot how many bad games there used to be.

 

[squall78]

PS3's getting some old school Squaresoft rpgs, they'll tide you over for a while.

 

[Joecoolyo]

The TBS genre unfortunately is just about dead. Although the Civ series is doing okay. I though Civ5 sucked, but I was surprised they still get a lot of Steam play (according to play statistics posted in the Skyrim thread). I didn't think that many people were still playing Civ5. I may try that game again some day with heavy mods. Maybe it will be playable.

Hey! Civ5 kicks ass! I just had a what, 8 hour session today.

 

[Antilogic]

The TBS genre unfortunately is just about dead. Although the Civ series is doing okay. I though Civ5 sucked, but I was surprised they still get a lot of Steam play (according to play statistics posted in the Skyrim thread). I didn't think that many people were still playing Civ5. I may try that game again some day with heavy mods. Maybe it will be playable.

The best things happening in the strategy genre are smaller studios developing old-fashioned style games. Paradox is decent, I love AGEod games but they are even more obscure.

 

[warpus]

The best things happening in the strategy genre are smaller studios developing old-fashioned style games. Paradox is decent, I love AGEod games but they are even more obscure.

My first ever steam purchase was the Paradox xmas pack. Some really good stuff in there and only $70

 

[Arwon]

Skyrim is pretty amazing.

I'm psyched for Skyward Sword too.

Basically it seems like more games need the word "Sky" in the title.

 

[dIZZyBlIZZy]

Skyrim is pretty amazing.

I'm psyched for Skyward Sword too.

Basically it seems like more games need the word "Sky" in the title.

Skyrim is amazing, but budget wise it was that or MW3, I think I like my choice. For now... (cough) Mass Effect 3