I had hoped in posting this here that designers of the future will read it over, and take (at least some of it) seriously. If the designers of the future got back to core gameplay and creating unique, fun games, rather than graphics fluff, it would be a great thing. Games can only get so real before they need something else to market about the next hot game. I'm not saying I dislike intense graphics, but if you gave me a copy of Super Metroid, Final Fantasy VII, or Fallout, I would play those before I would play Metroid Prime, Final Fantasy XI or Everquest 2.

Quote:A much more useful manifesto would be tackling the limited distribution and marketing pipelines; or how to persuade customers that your way is better. Until then, it's just whining.

True enough, but at least it was worth a good laugh. ;D

Quote:Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about. The concept sounds cool until you drill down into the low level experiential play:

1) Enter darkened, empty level
2) Look for enemy. No enemy.
3) Sneak around. Look for enemy. No enemy.
4) Climb up to high perch. Worry if enemy sees you. Look for enemy. No enemy.
5) Camp. Look for enemy. No enemy.
6) After an hour of boredom, start firing randomly in the air.
7) Turn around. Look at 3 lamplights staring you in the face. Die.

Play again? (y/n)

Ouch, thats kindof a harsh assessment. :(

I wouldn't neccessarily have called my previous comment "Icecream-Steak", it was more of a concept lacking form. It could be a game were the player could control a squad (like SWRC) and tries to hunt down the lone enemy AI ala Alien(tm), or Predator(tm). The AI using distractions to split up your squad, laying traps and sowing fear, etc.

i do agree with the fact that game developers have been duplicating the same game play and features and only improve on their visual arts. However, if you realise, not everyone who play games are hard-core gamer. to many, final fantasy 10 may be just as "new" as FF6/7(FF10 maybe their first game.) and to attract these people to the game is to improve on visual arts as any game play is "new" to them. through i'm personally feel prefer to have a improvement of game play too.

And not only so, from a business point of view, there's not guarantee that a "good" game play sells, as it's more like a personally view(through many will argue that a good game play will be liked by most) and good/realistic graphics is a none-brainer thing..

Quote:Original post by Elmo Song

And not only so, from a business point of view, there's not guarantee that a "good" game play sells, as it's more like a personally view

That's true enough. A lot of the best games (in my opinion) haven't been the best sellers. I just played Grim Fandango for the first time today, and from what I hear it's sales wern't that great. Ditto Earthbound.

Quote:Original post by m4d3c1ips3
I had hoped in posting this here that designers of the future will read it over, and take (at least some of it) seriously. If the designers of the future got back to core gameplay and creating unique, fun games, rather than graphics fluff, it would be a great thing.

Sorry if I sound frustrated, but to me your statement is like complaining about how your local mayor is an absolute bum, but you won't even vote to throw him out.

If you don't like the way games are, you first must vote with your dollar and STOP buying them. You must then persuade others to do likewise. If it is true that these guys are just making the same thing, again and again, then surely you should not have a problem replaying your old classics?

Then I'd recommend getting involved in the discussions going on right now in THIS very forum. Here's a post about a completely different form of starship combat. Here's a post about a freeform magic system. Here's a post about characters changing the world behind your back.

Games have technological and economic constraints that shape their development. If you're not even willing to put brainpower into an open discussion being held by people who would like to change gameplay, then I have to mark you down as someone who just likes to complain about a problem, but is too lazy to solve it.

Quote:Original post by Gyrthok
Ouch, thats kindof a harsh assessment. :(

I wouldn't neccessarily have called my previous comment "Icecream-Steak", it was more of a concept lacking form. It could be a game were the player could control a squad (like SWRC) and tries to hunt down the lone enemy AI ala Alien(tm), or Predator(tm). The AI using distractions to split up your squad, laying traps and sowing fear, etc.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh. But I was taking the scenario in the OP literally, with a Sam Fisher or Solid Snake hunting you.

Even the squad vs. single predator might be dicey, but it might work if the the idea is sold correctly to the player, individual unit investment isn't high, and the AI is ALWAYS active or there is gameplay girding up lulls and downtime.

What I'm really attacking is the manifesto's assertion in the OP that asks for things the player would most likely be unhappy with (this is "icecream steak"). Just look at the recent posts in this forum on Morrowind and unbounded levels, or plot as gameplay and whether or not that would tell a good story. I'd bet an Xbox 360 that if you DID what the OP's manifesto asked for, he'd next be b*tching that the AI was too hard, he was lost because the level was unbounded, he couldn't figure out what was going on because there was no text on screen, there were too many buttons to press and couldn't afford the game because it cost $550 USD per copy to accomodate all of his high-grained fidelity wishes!!! UGH!!

(Again, please don't think I'm addressing this to you... I just think it's so much more empowering to drill down into the EXACT causes of why things exist, and then fix them from there. Anything else is the equivalent of silly daydreaming.)