Post by Zeli on Jan 10, 2007 9:01:45 GMT -5
thatbarnettbloke blog
link to the blog
link to the blog
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Old games had it right
Now I am ina bad mood cos I have written this already and then Myspace trashed it and I didn't have a back up. Botheration. So you get the from memory worse version. Live with it.
This is about MMO games. Thats Massive Multiplayer Online games. If you don't understand them then just replace the games and concepts with movies or bands or something else. The point is the same.
I like my job and I like computer games, so much so that when I have to answer questions about it I get all wound up and passionate.
The rant begins.
I was asked about the best MMO's of all time and I gave my answer. I thought I would share it with you as well. (I know, I know, too kind, far too kind) Anyhow...
The best MMO group play experience is the 1985 Arcade game Gauntlet. Because it did all the things that group play was supposed to do. Strangers agreed to adventure together for the greater good.
The best MMO for career balance was the 1980's arcade game golden axe, because you knew instantly what each career did.
The best MMO for depth was Civilization (one, the first one, that's one, not two, not the other ones with bigger numbers, ONE, 1, uno, the first, the best...did I explain with enough vigour that it's ONE...good, phew, sorry, for a moment there I had a flash back to the time I almost fought a donkey.) Civ one is the master of maximum game play from minimal graphics, its the dominate force in how to make a game that can be replayed without it becoming dull. And it had a mini Elvis in it.
The best MMO for variety is and still remains Pokemon on the Gameboy. Now I know as a none girl I am supposed to dis-like pokemon. I understand that as a western male who is above the age of 24 I am supposed to be adverse to twee manga style on the dubiously titles hand hold machine. But honestly, pokemon has it all. Still has actually.
The best MMO for combat ground layout is Counter Strike. Yes it is, no I am not listening to any other answer. Its counter strike.
The best MMO for character development is Elite (the BBC 1980's space trading game). Now before any one gets ideas allow me to point out I am not advocating the game play for Elite in the modern game world. That would be insane. What I liked, no make that loved, about Elite is that you could be any form of character from a trader, mercenary, police man, bounty hunter, han solo, explorer and so forth. All within one game and all without EVER seeing what your character looked like. I tell you it was and still is design genius.
The most compelling MMO, easy, advance wars. It has everything from easy menu's to devilish game play. It's just the greatest compelling MMO ever.
The greatest PvP (player vs player MMO) another easy one. Its Goldeneye. No it is, go back, look at it again. It was so far ahead that even now some people are playing catch up. Goldeneye set a standard that most people can't even see!
Lastly the best co-operative teamwork game (not the same as the gauntlet entry, this is more group based) is... drum roll... Bubble bobble. because it is. Bubble bobble rocks, infact it rocks today.
Now... some people say that none of these games are actually MMO's. But that's missing the point. The essence of these games is what a good MMO should be. The very thing they managed is what we need to strive for. That is not a license to recreate these games for a modern era (which by the way is a stupid idea and will fail more often than it succeeds) No our job is to realize and understand what these games are and then try to bring some of that magic to the games we make today.
From the ease of use of the menu's in Advance wars, the excitement of player killing of Goldeneye, the fun of bubble bobble, the imagination of Elite, the passion of civ, the friend factor of gauntlet and the breadth of pokemon.
We should aim for eternity. Well that's what I am aiming for. Shoot for the stars, just make sure you do it outside or you may hit the ceiling.
Paul
P.S If you have never heard of some of these games I strongly urge you NOT to seek them out. The joy and wonder of these games came at the time they arrived. While you can look at them now through an emulator you will not get the same understanding. Its like watching old Black and white movies. You can appreciate them but you can't see them in context. So if your game background is younger than mine just do this simple trick. Take the elements I talk about (Co-operative play, tense player fighting, group play, easae of use) and then pick games you would pick. The point isn't the games I picked (though I stand by my choices) but the idea that good MMO game ideas come from other types of games and that we don't just have to look at MMO's.
Old games had it right
Now I am ina bad mood cos I have written this already and then Myspace trashed it and I didn't have a back up. Botheration. So you get the from memory worse version. Live with it.
This is about MMO games. Thats Massive Multiplayer Online games. If you don't understand them then just replace the games and concepts with movies or bands or something else. The point is the same.
I like my job and I like computer games, so much so that when I have to answer questions about it I get all wound up and passionate.
The rant begins.
I was asked about the best MMO's of all time and I gave my answer. I thought I would share it with you as well. (I know, I know, too kind, far too kind) Anyhow...
The best MMO group play experience is the 1985 Arcade game Gauntlet. Because it did all the things that group play was supposed to do. Strangers agreed to adventure together for the greater good.
The best MMO for career balance was the 1980's arcade game golden axe, because you knew instantly what each career did.
The best MMO for depth was Civilization (one, the first one, that's one, not two, not the other ones with bigger numbers, ONE, 1, uno, the first, the best...did I explain with enough vigour that it's ONE...good, phew, sorry, for a moment there I had a flash back to the time I almost fought a donkey.) Civ one is the master of maximum game play from minimal graphics, its the dominate force in how to make a game that can be replayed without it becoming dull. And it had a mini Elvis in it.
The best MMO for variety is and still remains Pokemon on the Gameboy. Now I know as a none girl I am supposed to dis-like pokemon. I understand that as a western male who is above the age of 24 I am supposed to be adverse to twee manga style on the dubiously titles hand hold machine. But honestly, pokemon has it all. Still has actually.
The best MMO for combat ground layout is Counter Strike. Yes it is, no I am not listening to any other answer. Its counter strike.
The best MMO for character development is Elite (the BBC 1980's space trading game). Now before any one gets ideas allow me to point out I am not advocating the game play for Elite in the modern game world. That would be insane. What I liked, no make that loved, about Elite is that you could be any form of character from a trader, mercenary, police man, bounty hunter, han solo, explorer and so forth. All within one game and all without EVER seeing what your character looked like. I tell you it was and still is design genius.
The most compelling MMO, easy, advance wars. It has everything from easy menu's to devilish game play. It's just the greatest compelling MMO ever.
The greatest PvP (player vs player MMO) another easy one. Its Goldeneye. No it is, go back, look at it again. It was so far ahead that even now some people are playing catch up. Goldeneye set a standard that most people can't even see!
Lastly the best co-operative teamwork game (not the same as the gauntlet entry, this is more group based) is... drum roll... Bubble bobble. because it is. Bubble bobble rocks, infact it rocks today.
Now... some people say that none of these games are actually MMO's. But that's missing the point. The essence of these games is what a good MMO should be. The very thing they managed is what we need to strive for. That is not a license to recreate these games for a modern era (which by the way is a stupid idea and will fail more often than it succeeds) No our job is to realize and understand what these games are and then try to bring some of that magic to the games we make today.
From the ease of use of the menu's in Advance wars, the excitement of player killing of Goldeneye, the fun of bubble bobble, the imagination of Elite, the passion of civ, the friend factor of gauntlet and the breadth of pokemon.
We should aim for eternity. Well that's what I am aiming for. Shoot for the stars, just make sure you do it outside or you may hit the ceiling.
Paul
P.S If you have never heard of some of these games I strongly urge you NOT to seek them out. The joy and wonder of these games came at the time they arrived. While you can look at them now through an emulator you will not get the same understanding. Its like watching old Black and white movies. You can appreciate them but you can't see them in context. So if your game background is younger than mine just do this simple trick. Take the elements I talk about (Co-operative play, tense player fighting, group play, easae of use) and then pick games you would pick. The point isn't the games I picked (though I stand by my choices) but the idea that good MMO game ideas come from other types of games and that we don't just have to look at MMO's.
