the best analysis of gaming i've ever read

[xg4bx]

The Day the Gaming Industry Died: Impressions from E3 2010 By David Wong

 

http://www.cracked.com/article_18608_the-day-gaming-industry-died-impressions-from-e3-2010.html

 

(yes, cracked)

 

If you haven't been keeping up with the conference, let me summarize by saying Microsoft--and I'm not making this up--had Cirque du Soleil unveil a $150 kitten petting simulator via interpretive dance. The Cirque du Soleil performers rode in on animatronic elephants:

 

See those people wearing white in the background? Yeah, they also had the audience dress in white cult robes. Here's the kitten petting simulator in action:

 

All of that actually happened. Does this all sound like an industry's desperate, final plea for attention? Because I'm pretty sure it was. Let me back up a little bit.

 

The games industry has had a massive problem from day one, one that nobody is quite sure how to fix. This problem is the reason thousands of arcades had to close down after the 80s, and it's why Atari, Sega, NEC and countless other electronics giants had to bail out of the console business after losing millions. It's the reason why even Microsoft has lost billions on its gaming division.The problem is that video game players simply won't keep playing without a new gimmick every five years or so. Where people have been happy watching celluloid movies for like 80 straight years, for whatever reason gamers won't keep playing games unless given a completely new format every half decade.

 

Now, some people mistakenly say, "Well, duh, we stop playing the old games because the new ones have hit the market, making the old ones look obsolete!" Not so. We stop playing the games long before the new games arrive. For instance, there are no new consoles on the horizon now, yet video game hardware and software sales are both collapsing. Eventually we just get bored with the medium.

 

That's a huge problem for the industry; it costs billions to develop a new console from scratch. It's getting to the point that game makers can't make a profit off the last console in the five years before gamers have given up on it and started demanding a new one. Which brings us to the animatronic elephants.

 

 

 

it's a great article that's well worth reading, i almost completely agree with it, especially the paragraphs i pasted. he raises really good points.

[DickNixonArisen]

Fun article, are game publishers and console manufacturers really losing money? I doubt it. I like the article linked off of it, 'five reasons it's still not cool to admit you're a gamer', a lot better. Still, it's not true either! Everyone I know wants to be known as a 'gamer', even if they're not that into video games.

 

Actually, all of these articles are very well-written and have important things to say about gaming.

[4Ks]

If Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft don't do something worthwjile with their billions, we're going to have another crash. The only thing even remotely worthwhile I've seen is 3DS.

[DickNixonArisen]

Edit: double post

Edited June 15, 2010 by DickNixonArisen

[NE146]

I dunno but thought Nintendo's conference was pretty strong.

[S1500]

Cirque? Reminds me of...

 

 

[johnon]

If Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft don't do something worthwjile with their billions, we're going to have another crash. The only thing even remotely worthwhile I've seen is 3DS.

Now your games too, can look like Avatar! Amazing! I can't wait to get home and have fun turning off the 3D capabilities because it's just going to be annoying with developers not using it as a game mechanic! I also can't wait to fumble over the D-Pad trying to reach the analog stick!

 

Yeah, the analog stick is in the worst place ever. I also, as said above, can't see developers actually using the 3D capabilities for anything interesting. Nintendo could have easily just made the next DSi powerhouse upgrade without the stupid gimmick and added their analog stick for the same effect.

 

On a side note, playing games like Hotel Dusk is going to be annoying as hell now that the screens are two different sizes.

[BydoEmpire]

Hah, that was great. Thanks for the link.

[HuckleCat]

It is pretty funny, and I do agree with him on most of the stuff. Especially the end..

 

"Sony has their conference today. I'm not hopeful. Why? Because they're devoting their conference to two things: Move, their new, completely original motion controllers...

 

...and 3D games, aka Games with Glasses and Headaches. I'll have my impressions up Wednesday"

 

The pic really shows how much of a blatant Wii ripoff move is. I can't wait to see idiots at Gamestop playing Killzone 3 with a Hitachi Wand.

[JamesD]

I think Microsoft has "Jumped the Shark"

[Tr3vor]

http://cdn-www.cracked.com/phpimages/article/1/2/4/25124.gif?v=1

 

Thats kinect thing looks retarded, like all motion controlls. But I wouldnt call it motion controlls, its like motion capture. I'm not a fan of motion controlls. I like the regular, comfortable lazy controller, spazing to push all the buttons at the same time. And now, PS is jumping in the bandwagon with move... If they do really get rid of the average controller, the gaming market will loose this consumer.

[DaytonaUSA]

If Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft don't do something worthwjile with their billions, we're going to have another crash. The only thing even remotely worthwhile I've seen is 3DS.

 

 

I've been hearing there's going to be another crash for at least the last 15 years. I'll believe it when I see it. All three companies have come out with very impressive systems, accessories and features. I think the real issue is that we tend to not remember how much things have changed until we go to an older console and see what all is "missing".

 

I mean, even since the Dreamcast, so much has changed.

[Herbarius]

Sorry, "best analysis"?

 

It's just the same old vs. new, hardcore vs. casual, etc. natter as usual.