When will the day come when one player who does X thing in a game will permanently change the way everyone else plays the same game? When will the day come when players actions will truly matter? When will we see players to truly feel the risk and thrill of their own choices that will permanently define them for who they are? When will we see a game that feels as much as important as real life?
A great game means a more peaceful and safer world. It also means a less polluted world. It also means a great way for individuals to meet someone that truly enjoy spending their time with. It also means less spending $ on other, far more costly hobbies for entertainment. It can also be an educational game, things people can actually learn that would benefit from in real life.
The problem we are facing today is the fact that building games costs $ and they solely depend on the private sector willingness to invest in them. What happens though when the private sector doesn't have the funds to invest, interest or ability to deliver this game? This happens. The state of gaming today as it is.
I see billions upon billions of government funds thrown in things that humanity as a whole does not benefit, from many space to military programs. Only when this game becomes reality the world will see the imminent impact on evolution as a whole for mankind.
I've consistently played games for decades which allowed me to think and solve problems. They helped me from the very first thing which was to understand and write the English language...Today, thx to meeting and interacting with thousands of players over the last 14 years I also know things I would never knew before. Most importantly gaming has helped me to have great social skills.
So, when are games going to become more than just "games"? When will the world become more involved in building, investing in them? What will it take from each individual gamer to push toward this goal? Well, I can think of few things, but anyways...I said enough for now.
Originally posted by Gestankfaust
Originally posted by nariusseldon when players actually want all those things instead of playing just some fun games?
^This
And sorry...any example that would be posted would fall short of what the OP posted IMO.
Let's examine the first paragraph of the OP carefully, shall we?
When will the day come when one player who does X thing in a game will permanently change the way everyone else plays the same game?
Check out the activities of James 315, who's organization has for several years now changed the way miners operate in high sec. http://www.minerbumping.com/. Yes, one man can make a difference. There's many more like him, the Mittani and his leadership of the Goons. https://www.themittani.com/
When will the day come when players actions will truly matter?
Players do things that matter all the time in EVE, couple of my corp mates personally dropped stations in high sec, these will never go away, or be destroyed, they were added to the game world permanently, all by one person.
When will we see players to truly feel the risk and thrill of their own choices that will permanently define them for who they are? When will we see a game that feels as much as important as real life?
Countless people have either scammed, infiltrated, betrayed their corp mates vilifying their names in the EVE annals forever, while getting away with mega billions of ISK, which has a real world value that can be associated to their thefts. Some players have lead alliances that conquered vast regions of null sec and they held them for years.
So at least for the first paragraph, EVE pretty much fits the bill.
How about that 3rd paragraph:
I've consistently played games for decades which allowed me to think and solve problems. They helped me from the very first thing which was to understand and write the English language...Today, thx to meeting and interacting with thousands of players over the last 14 years I also know things I would never knew before. Most importantly gaming has helped me to have great social skills.
Let's see, I've played EVE along side players from all over the world, fought with and against Russians, interacted with thousands of players, fought in several major campaigns, learned a lot about gaming (and military tactics), learned to scout, learned to spy, learned to take orders, learned to give orders, learned to recruit, learned to deal with challenging political situations and personal drama. I've even shot allies just for the hell of it when they pissed me off.
I could tackle a few more, but you get the point. EVE might not change the real world, and make it a better place, but as far as a virtual world goes, I challenge you to find a better one that meets the OP's critieria.
The sad thing is, the OP continues to ignore EVE because he thinks he missed the boat 10 years ago and won't consider it now even though there's still plenty of room to make a difference.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Only little problem is those of us wanting more world then game are in the minority.
Well, you can't expect the market will always produce what you like. I love locked room mysteries, and no one is writing more of that in the US (there are some in Japan though).
So what? I can always find other entertainment. The good news is that today's world is so full of entertainment that it is almost impossible not to find something fun to past the time.
In fact, my problem is more of time management (wasting too much time in entertainment) than not enough.
When will the day come when one player who does X thing in a game will permanently change the way everyone else plays the same game? When will the day come when players actions will truly matter? When will we see players to truly feel the risk and thrill of their own choices that will permanently define them for who they are? When will we see a game that feels as much as important as real life?
A great game means a more peaceful and safer world. It also means a less polluted world. It also means a great way for individuals to meet someone that truly enjoy spending their time with. It also means less spending $ on other, far more costly hobbies for entertainment. It can also be an educational game, things people can actually learn that would benefit from in real life.
The problem we are facing today is the fact that building games costs $ and they solely depend on the private sector willingness to invest in them. What happens though when the private sector doesn't have the funds to invest, interest or ability to deliver this game? This happens. The state of gaming today as it is.
I see billions upon billions of government funds thrown in things that humanity as a whole does not benefit, from many space to military programs. Only when this game becomes reality the world will see the imminent impact on evolution as a whole for mankind.
I've consistently played games for decades which allowed me to think and solve problems. They helped me from the very first thing which was to understand and write the English language...Today, thx to meeting and interacting with thousands of players over the last 14 years I also know things I would never knew before. Most importantly gaming has helped me to have great social skills.
So, when are games going to become more than just "games"? When will the world become more involved in building, investing in them? What will it take from each individual gamer to push toward this goal? Well, I can think of few things, but anyways...I said enough for now.
Originally posted by Gestankfaust
Originally posted by nariusseldon when players actually want all those things instead of playing just some fun games?
^This
And sorry...any example that would be posted would fall short of what the OP posted IMO.
Let's examine the first paragraph of the OP carefully, shall we?
When will the day come when one player who does X thing in a game will permanently change the way everyone else plays the same game?
Check out the activities of James 315, who's organization has for several years now changed the way miners operate in high sec. http://www.minerbumping.com/. Yes, one man can make a difference. There's many more like him, the Mittani and his leadership of the Goons. https://www.themittani.com/
When will the day come when players actions will truly matter?
Players do things that matter all the time in EVE, couple of my corp mates personally dropped stations in high sec, these will never go away, or be destroyed, they were added to the game world permanently, all by one person.
When will we see players to truly feel the risk and thrill of their own choices that will permanently define them for who they are? When will we see a game that feels as much as important as real life?
Countless people have either scammed, infiltrated, betrayed their corp mates vilifying their names in the EVE annals forever, while getting away with mega billions of ISK, which has a real world value that can be associated to their thefts. Some players have lead alliances that conquered vast regions of null sec and they held them for years.
So at least for the first paragraph, EVE pretty much fits the bill.
How about that 3rd paragraph:
I've consistently played games for decades which allowed me to think and solve problems. They helped me from the very first thing which was to understand and write the English language...Today, thx to meeting and interacting with thousands of players over the last 14 years I also know things I would never knew before. Most importantly gaming has helped me to have great social skills.
Let's see, I've played EVE along side players from all over the world, fought with and against Russians, interacted with thousands of players, fought in several major campaigns, learned a lot about gaming (and military tactics), learned to scout, learned to spy, learned to take orders, learned to give orders, learned to recruit, learned to deal with challenging political situations and personal drama. I've even shot allies just for the hell of it when they pissed me off.
I could tackle a few more, but you get the point. EVE might not change the real world, and make it a better place, but as far as a virtual world goes, I challenge you to find a better one that meets the OP's critieria.
The sad thing is, the OP continues to ignore EVE because he thinks he missed the boat 10 years ago and won't consider it now even though there's still plenty of room to make a difference.
lol...you quoted me and some other stuff...then had a big wall of nonsense text. Hope you had fun writing it though.
Oh...and Eve STILL wont cut it...sorry.
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you'll get used to. Relax....."
Other fields than games have shown through the years that mankind as a whole is not interested in art for art's sake.
I was there for the old days, when only one person could sign onto a bulletin board at a time, when every user was computer-savvy or fairly well-to-do. Then I remember America Online, and its massive community of text-based roleplayers, and later MUDs, with severe rulesets. Then came MMORPGs. Everquest even had role-players on non-role-playing servers; the main roleplaying server was a roleplayers paradise, as far as graphical games were concerned. I also played Second Life, and watched it over the years as it transformed from an actual second life for its users to a mere extension of Facebook, with microphones and hyper-realistic fashion and self-conscious standards of beauty, with correspondingly little personality. The writing on the wall is pretty clear: when the Internet became popular, it was no longer the cool sort of commune it had been. The masses entered (and refer to my first statement above).
I would say the window has passed. I would also say that, from my experience, Everquest on the Firiona Vie server, and Second Life in its early days were the closest I have come to a game being more than just a game. Note that both involved full role-playing. From the perspective of gameplay, Shadowbane was quite interesting, and I hear Ultima Online was quite the experience in its early days. World of Warcraft in the classic days was also quite impressive, with the ability to be a high warlord or grand marshall, but not much that really had not been seen in Everquest, where the top players were like nobility and it inspired awe just to see them. World of Warcraft, even in the BWL and AQ40 days, was definitely a light version of that, but still very far removed from what you see today, where status is having a conspicuous flying mount. You knew who the top players were then, and when you saw them in battlegrounds they could not be stopped.
The classic games are as close as you will get, now or ever, but their effect is diminished now from the "all chiefs, no indians" principle. People will not tolerate others being superior as long as Blizzard will make them a superhero just for showing up.
"When will we see a game that feels as much as important as real life?"
Should we wish for that? I don't.
An already unhealthy fascination for escapism, taken another step out?
No thanks. Real life is challenging enough.
---
Fortunately, not what the OP was asking for.
Agree with it, though they could play GTA V if they wish to feel that way (reality).
As they say, life starts when you're out of your comfort zone. One they they'll be waking up like "what the F did I made" and "I shouldn't gaming ruin my real life (not unless they are rich as hell to the point that they don't have to take commutes and the challenge on finding a Job).
For the ones dismissing the thought, (it shouldnt, work is more important[i didnt actually read much so i dont know]) consider for a moment what is really important and what the purpose for life is. Oh wait it's an opinion. Since everyone says something different. Yet no one really knows, and all of are values and ideals and goals are based off of.. all things we created and we were told were important by other people. Consider that.
Playing a game you are living through another person in essence, that you create. That or you fill the shoes of a character or characters created for you.
However, everyone might as well be npcs walking around talking to eachother. For example, lets say some typical mmo has 5 races, 5 classes, 10 professions. Now it's common that races are just flavor. Professions can be done by and mastered by anyone, usually more than one, and usually quickly. Then as classes go, they should more be called; DMG, TANK, HEAL, CONTROL, BACKUP. As that is how they usually work. This is in general.
This point can be taken further and further to the point of you realizing you are practically the same as everyone else in the game. The only real thing to show your worth or difference in a game, is time. As everything you do or have comes down to time, and that's all. Because anyone can attain or do what you do regardless of themselves and gain all the same achievements. Just a matter of time. Because that's how the games are built, more time = more money spent.
What games probably need to feel more important you could say, is uniqueness and a sense of worth and progression.
For example: MMO has 10 races. All effecting and changing the gameplay of the character. Not just looks. 100 different skills. No classes. unique parameters regarding chosen race and skills. Unique backgrounds. Not identical or 3 different flavors. Unique skills for all, Ex: 10 people choose magic. But there are 5 different types, as well as the race influencing the magic. The starting skills would be determined by how you'd want it to be. For example choosing magnitude, duration, distance, multiple types, AoE, single target, etc.
The idea is, everyone would be and could be unique to very deep levels. Making yourself and others more interesting and combinations endless within the game world.
This needs to apply to the entire game. Applying that sort of depth to the world and everything in it. The human mind is vast. It makes sense that a game that is so shallow and lacks and real sense of worth within yourself or the world itself, is never going to really please. The thing that keeps people going back usually is friends, and time investment.
Only little problem is those of us wanting more world then game are in the minority.
Well, you can't expect the market will always produce what you like. I love locked room mysteries, and no one is writing more of that in the US (there are some in Japan though).
So what? I can always find other entertainment. The good news is that today's world is so full of entertainment that it is almost impossible not to find something fun to past the time.
In fact, my problem is more of time management (wasting too much time in entertainment) than not enough.
That is why I said it's "only a little problem"
and you said it in such a sarcastic manner that i thought you mean it is a big problem.
Thank you for your clarification .. it is indeed a very small problem for the market ... otherwise some devs will pay notice.
When will the day come when one player who does X thing in a game will permanently change the way everyone else plays the same game? When will the day come when players actions will truly matter?
We need to get you trying some of the non-EQ/WOW MMOs. You can already do that in quite a few, and have been able to for over a decade.
Sorry but he probably also wants nice graphics, 3d fancy, good camera angles, and a game that is not a pvp gank fest.
When will the day come when one player who does X thing in a game will permanently change the way everyone else plays the same game? When will the day come when players actions will truly matter?
We need to get you trying some of the non-EQ/WOW MMOs. You can already do that in quite a few, and have been able to for over a decade.
Sorry but he probably also wants nice graphics, 3d fancy, good camera angles, and a game that is not a pvp gank fest.
Which is what we should be striving for...
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you'll get used to. Relax....."
You can build, socialize, learn, teach, host and participate in events, own & sell land, get married/divorced, etc. Some schools use them for education, and even the military uses them for their own simulator worlds and training.
btw, these "citizens" of these virtual worlds get disturbed when you call them "games". lol.
I'm pretty sure everyone wants to play in SAO, log horizon, or dot hack. But not everyone have that great of imagination.
That's probably the main reason why not that many people are actually interested in sandbox games. Because it's really hard to deliver.
The way I see sandbox players are kind of like those RP players in themepark games. Probably really hard to become main stream unless virtual reality become reality.
I think we already have games that are important in real life. There are computer programs all over the place that assist us in understand the world we live in, how it works, and helps us to find solutions. To an extent these are just games with a real purpose. You code/use these programs just like you would a game. They are just a little more complicated for the user, but generally are becoming easy enough for everyone to understand now that programmers are finding ways to make them easier for people. I don't think you will find a game that has real purpose as they are meant for fun. One of the great things about a game is that whatever you do doesn't really matter. Even if you did impact the world in game it wouldn't matter as it's just a fake world and a virtual character. Obviously in real life every action has a very real impact that could really hurt things.
I'm pretty sure everyone wants to play in SAO, log horizon, or dot hack. But not everyone have that great of imagination.
That's probably the main reason why not that many people are actually interested in sandbox games. Because it's really hard to deliver.
The way I see sandbox players are kind of like those RP players in themepark games. Probably really hard to become main stream unless virtual reality become reality.
When you watch those shows, imagination isn't necessary. They provide a non-stop series of interesting events (well except .Hack, but we probably don't need to discuss its dull slow pace here.)
Sandbox games don't provide a non-stop series of interesting events (they require you to create all the entertainment for yourself.)
With a lot of story/character/dialog-driven stories, the best type of game for them definitely isn't sandbox (even though many players assume it is because the character portrayed enjoys a lot of freedom). A themepark MMORPG can fit slightly better, but often even that is too broad and something like a Telltale game works far better (as seen with their Game of Thrones and Walking Dead games, which fit those TV shows vastly better than the non-episodic games which exist for those IPs.)
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
What's more pathetic? The fact that I'm playing a MMORPG released in 1997 (Ultima Online) or the fact I have not found a reason to spend $ on any new game for 5 years straight soon (by January 11th 2016).
What's certain though is after 24 years of exceptional gaming I the consumer is winning the PvP war vs the producer. Luckily, plenty of children for them are brought into the world everyday that will gladly open their wallets for anything shiny, cuz I know I did and more than any other child I can think of.
If anything by now it's certain that to appeal to the more experienced, mature, veteran audience a certain level of standard is required, one that sadly for X reasons producers have not been capable to meet, which means they are losing tons of $ while we the consumers lose ton of potential to experience something greater in our brief period or what's left of it on this lovely planet called Earth.
At least this exceptional experience allows me to still find joy in this industry while saving tons of $ in the process and voting with my wallet for better products in near future. So, to answer one of the posters above assumption. No, graphics mean very little to me. I've seen far superior 2D graphics out there compared to ugly, pixelated 3d blocks. What matters to me is to play a game that makes sense, that has structure in place, a design that works in the long run.
What's more pathetic? The fact that I'm playing a MMORPG released in 1997 (Ultima Online) or the fact I have not found a reason to spend $ on any new game for 5 years straight soon (by January 11th 2016).
What's certain though is after 24 years of exceptional gaming I the consumer is winning the PvP war vs the producer. Luckily, plenty of children for them are brought into the world everyday that will gladly open their wallets for anything shiny, cuz I know I did and more than any other child I can think of.
If anything by now it's certain that to appeal to the more experienced, mature, veteran audience a certain level of standard is required, one that sadly for X reasons producers have not been capable to meet, which means they are losing tons of $ while we the consumers lose ton of potential to experience something greater in our brief period or what's left of it on this lovely planet called Earth.
At least this exceptional experience allows me to still find joy in this industry while saving tons of $ in the process and voting with my wallet for better products in near future. So, to answer one of the posters above assumption. No, graphics mean very little to me. I've seen far superior 2D graphics out there compared to ugly, pixelated 3d blocks. What matters to me is to play a game that makes sense, that has structure in place, a design that works in the long run.
you wanna know what is even more pathetic?
the fact that in spite of you not spending any money on games, the industry is still making more money each year. . .
. . .keep on with you cause though, so you can still feel like you're making a difference.
I am actually looking forward to all this VR stuff. In my opinion this will change things quite a bit.
Also I cannot wait to play some oldschool pen and papers with this new Hololens technology, imagine your gamemaster being able to craft a 3d world for you and your companions, being able to manipulate it in real time, all with the swipe of a hand, awesomesauce!
I know it's not what the OP's talking about, but for me I've always thought games would be more than "games" when world nations started using games as a competitive means to resolving political, religious, or territorial squabbles instead of war/genocide, etc.
When will the day come when one player who does X thing in a game will permanently change the way everyone else plays the same game? When will the day come when players actions will truly matter? When will we see players to truly feel the risk and thrill of their own choices that will permanently define them for who they are? When will we see a game that feels as much as important as real life?
This happens on a yearly basis in EVE Online. Someone will come up with a new ship fit, or a new fleet composition and suddenly everyone in the game will start using it.
The unofficial motto for EVE is; EVE is real. It quite metaphorically is real. One player with the right intelligence in the right situation can effect thousands of other players lives forever. The metagame is just as important, or more important, than the actual flying of spaceships.
Very few games have this level of impact, which is why I keep going back to EVE every time I get bored with another shitty, on-rails WoW clone.
A great game means a more peaceful and safer world.
Uhhhh, no it doesn't.
It also means a less polluted world.
What is this John Lennon hippy crap? No it doesn't.
It also means a great way for individuals to meet someone that truly enjoy spending their time with. It also means less spending $ on other, far more costly hobbies for entertainment. It can also be an educational game, things people can actually learn that would benefit from in real life.
This is absolutely true. Met some great friends in online games. Especially Canadians. I really like my Tim Horton munching crazy Canuck buddies.
The problem we are facing today is the fact that building games costs $ and they solely depend on the private sector willingness to invest in them. What happens though when the private sector doesn't have the funds to invest, interest or ability to deliver this game? This happens. The state of gaming today as it is.
I see billions upon billions of government funds thrown in things that humanity as a whole does not benefit, from many space to military programs. Only when this game becomes reality the world will see the imminent impact on evolution as a whole for mankind.
The private sector not having enough funds? Only when society collapses. The only thing government is good at is stealing and subsequently wasting money. I hope you're not thinking that the government will step in and make good games.
I work for my government. In fact I work on military battle simulations, where we use in house "games" to train our military how to fight. These games are built by the government. They look like shit, they run like shit and one of the games that I use on a daily basis requires running several batch files to start different processes before the "game" will even launch. Imagine if you had to double click on half a dozen icons and wait for them to finish running in sequence before you could log into your favorite MMO.
The government sucks at making everything because at the end of the day they don't have a bottom line and they don't need a return on their investment. They have a never ending pile of 100% dependable funds streaming from our wallets to their coffers, so their products never have to meet the same standards.
I've consistently played games for decades which allowed me to think and solve problems. They helped me from the very first thing which was to understand and write the English language...Today, thx to meeting and interacting with thousands of players over the last 14 years I also know things I would never knew before. Most importantly gaming has helped me to have great social skills.
Global communication will do this for most people even without the gaming aspect. I used mIRC for years to meet thousands of other Shadowrun RPG players before the first MMO even thought to crawl out of the womb. I was involved in dozens of forums for hobbies where we shared ideas across the world on a daily basis. I was learning about other cultures long before gaming thanks to instant global communication.
So, when are games going to become more than just "games"? When will the world become more involved in building, investing in them? What will it take from each individual gamer to push toward this goal? Well, I can think of few things, but anyways...I said enough for now.
If you watched any of the E3 convention from last week, then you would already have your answer. Gaming is a HUGE part of the civilized global infrastructure already. The fully packed convention center broke out into thunderous cheering and applause over several upcoming games. Video games ffs. You'd think some scientist just stepped out on stage and declared they had a cure for cancer. No, video games have been more than just video games for almost a decade.
Korea has entire TV channels dedicated to watching RTS games and commentating on them. Korean gamers make more money than most Korean actors and are treated like royalty when they pull up to a club/restrautn in their Limo. I know, I lived in Korea for over a year.
Comments
Let's examine the first paragraph of the OP carefully, shall we?
When will the day come when one player who does X thing in a game will permanently change the way everyone else plays the same game?
Check out the activities of James 315, who's organization has for several years now changed the way miners operate in high sec. http://www.minerbumping.com/. Yes, one man can make a difference. There's many more like him, the Mittani and his leadership of the Goons. https://www.themittani.com/
When will the day come when players actions will truly matter?
Players do things that matter all the time in EVE, couple of my corp mates personally dropped stations in high sec, these will never go away, or be destroyed, they were added to the game world permanently, all by one person.
When will we see players to truly feel the risk and thrill of their own choices that will permanently define them for who they are? When will we see a game that feels as much as important as real life?
Countless people have either scammed, infiltrated, betrayed their corp mates vilifying their names in the EVE annals forever, while getting away with mega billions of ISK, which has a real world value that can be associated to their thefts. Some players have lead alliances that conquered vast regions of null sec and they held them for years.
https://truestories.eveonline.com/truestories/index.html
So at least for the first paragraph, EVE pretty much fits the bill.
How about that 3rd paragraph:
I've consistently played games for decades which allowed me to think and solve problems. They helped me from the very first thing which was to understand and write the English language...Today, thx to meeting and interacting with thousands of players over the last 14 years I also know things I would never knew before. Most importantly gaming has helped me to have great social skills.
Let's see, I've played EVE along side players from all over the world, fought with and against Russians, interacted with thousands of players, fought in several major campaigns, learned a lot about gaming (and military tactics), learned to scout, learned to spy, learned to take orders, learned to give orders, learned to recruit, learned to deal with challenging political situations and personal drama. I've even shot allies just for the hell of it when they pissed me off.
I could tackle a few more, but you get the point. EVE might not change the real world, and make it a better place, but as far as a virtual world goes, I challenge you to find a better one that meets the OP's critieria.
The sad thing is, the OP continues to ignore EVE because he thinks he missed the boat 10 years ago and won't consider it now even though there's still plenty of room to make a difference.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
That is why I said it's "only a little problem"
lol...you quoted me and some other stuff...then had a big wall of nonsense text. Hope you had fun writing it though.
Oh...and Eve STILL wont cut it...sorry.
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you'll get used to. Relax....."
Other fields than games have shown through the years that mankind as a whole is not interested in art for art's sake.
I was there for the old days, when only one person could sign onto a bulletin board at a time, when every user was computer-savvy or fairly well-to-do. Then I remember America Online, and its massive community of text-based roleplayers, and later MUDs, with severe rulesets. Then came MMORPGs. Everquest even had role-players on non-role-playing servers; the main roleplaying server was a roleplayers paradise, as far as graphical games were concerned. I also played Second Life, and watched it over the years as it transformed from an actual second life for its users to a mere extension of Facebook, with microphones and hyper-realistic fashion and self-conscious standards of beauty, with correspondingly little personality. The writing on the wall is pretty clear: when the Internet became popular, it was no longer the cool sort of commune it had been. The masses entered (and refer to my first statement above).
I would say the window has passed. I would also say that, from my experience, Everquest on the Firiona Vie server, and Second Life in its early days were the closest I have come to a game being more than just a game. Note that both involved full role-playing. From the perspective of gameplay, Shadowbane was quite interesting, and I hear Ultima Online was quite the experience in its early days. World of Warcraft in the classic days was also quite impressive, with the ability to be a high warlord or grand marshall, but not much that really had not been seen in Everquest, where the top players were like nobility and it inspired awe just to see them. World of Warcraft, even in the BWL and AQ40 days, was definitely a light version of that, but still very far removed from what you see today, where status is having a conspicuous flying mount. You knew who the top players were then, and when you saw them in battlegrounds they could not be stopped.
The classic games are as close as you will get, now or ever, but their effect is diminished now from the "all chiefs, no indians" principle. People will not tolerate others being superior as long as Blizzard will make them a superhero just for showing up.
R.I.P. The old Internet.
Should we wish for that? I don't.
An already unhealthy fascination for escapism, taken another step out?
No thanks. Real life is challenging enough.
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Fortunately, not what the OP was asking for.
Agree with it, though they could play GTA V if they wish to feel that way (reality).
As they say, life starts when you're out of your comfort zone. One they they'll be waking up like "what the F did I made" and "I shouldn't gaming ruin my real life (not unless they are rich as hell to the point that they don't have to take commutes and the challenge on finding a Job).
For the ones dismissing the thought, (it shouldnt, work is more important[i didnt actually read much so i dont know]) consider for a moment what is really important and what the purpose for life is. Oh wait it's an opinion. Since everyone says something different. Yet no one really knows, and all of are values and ideals and goals are based off of.. all things we created and we were told were important by other people. Consider that.
Playing a game you are living through another person in essence, that you create. That or you fill the shoes of a character or characters created for you.
However, everyone might as well be npcs walking around talking to eachother. For example, lets say some typical mmo has 5 races, 5 classes, 10 professions. Now it's common that races are just flavor. Professions can be done by and mastered by anyone, usually more than one, and usually quickly. Then as classes go, they should more be called; DMG, TANK, HEAL, CONTROL, BACKUP. As that is how they usually work. This is in general.
This point can be taken further and further to the point of you realizing you are practically the same as everyone else in the game. The only real thing to show your worth or difference in a game, is time. As everything you do or have comes down to time, and that's all. Because anyone can attain or do what you do regardless of themselves and gain all the same achievements. Just a matter of time. Because that's how the games are built, more time = more money spent.
What games probably need to feel more important you could say, is uniqueness and a sense of worth and progression.
For example: MMO has 10 races. All effecting and changing the gameplay of the character. Not just looks. 100 different skills. No classes. unique parameters regarding chosen race and skills. Unique backgrounds. Not identical or 3 different flavors. Unique skills for all, Ex: 10 people choose magic. But there are 5 different types, as well as the race influencing the magic. The starting skills would be determined by how you'd want it to be. For example choosing magnitude, duration, distance, multiple types, AoE, single target, etc.
The idea is, everyone would be and could be unique to very deep levels. Making yourself and others more interesting and combinations endless within the game world.
This needs to apply to the entire game. Applying that sort of depth to the world and everything in it. The human mind is vast. It makes sense that a game that is so shallow and lacks and real sense of worth within yourself or the world itself, is never going to really please. The thing that keeps people going back usually is friends, and time investment.
and you said it in such a sarcastic manner that i thought you mean it is a big problem.
Thank you for your clarification .. it is indeed a very small problem for the market ... otherwise some devs will pay notice.
Sorry but he probably also wants nice graphics, 3d fancy, good camera angles, and a game that is not a pvp gank fest.
Which is what we should be striving for...
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you'll get used to. Relax....."
I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but they are called virtual worlds. https://data.govloop.com/dataset/List-of-Virtual-Worlds/d7tp-2pbh
You can build, socialize, learn, teach, host and participate in events, own & sell land, get married/divorced, etc. Some schools use them for education, and even the military uses them for their own simulator worlds and training.
btw, these "citizens" of these virtual worlds get disturbed when you call them "games". lol.
I'm pretty sure everyone wants to play in SAO, log horizon, or dot hack. But not everyone have that great of imagination.
That's probably the main reason why not that many people are actually interested in sandbox games. Because it's really hard to deliver.
The way I see sandbox players are kind of like those RP players in themepark games. Probably really hard to become main stream unless virtual reality become reality.
When you watch those shows, imagination isn't necessary. They provide a non-stop series of interesting events (well except .Hack, but we probably don't need to discuss its dull slow pace here.)
Sandbox games don't provide a non-stop series of interesting events (they require you to create all the entertainment for yourself.)
With a lot of story/character/dialog-driven stories, the best type of game for them definitely isn't sandbox (even though many players assume it is because the character portrayed enjoys a lot of freedom). A themepark MMORPG can fit slightly better, but often even that is too broad and something like a Telltale game works far better (as seen with their Game of Thrones and Walking Dead games, which fit those TV shows vastly better than the non-episodic games which exist for those IPs.)
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
What's more pathetic? The fact that I'm playing a MMORPG released in 1997 (Ultima Online) or the fact I have not found a reason to spend $ on any new game for 5 years straight soon (by January 11th 2016).
What's certain though is after 24 years of exceptional gaming I the consumer is winning the PvP war vs the producer. Luckily, plenty of children for them are brought into the world everyday that will gladly open their wallets for anything shiny, cuz I know I did and more than any other child I can think of.
If anything by now it's certain that to appeal to the more experienced, mature, veteran audience a certain level of standard is required, one that sadly for X reasons producers have not been capable to meet, which means they are losing tons of $ while we the consumers lose ton of potential to experience something greater in our brief period or what's left of it on this lovely planet called Earth.
At least this exceptional experience allows me to still find joy in this industry while saving tons of $ in the process and voting with my wallet for better products in near future. So, to answer one of the posters above assumption. No, graphics mean very little to me. I've seen far superior 2D graphics out there compared to ugly, pixelated 3d blocks. What matters to me is to play a game that makes sense, that has structure in place, a design that works in the long run.
you wanna know what is even more pathetic?
the fact that in spite of you not spending any money on games, the industry is still making more money each year. . .
. . .keep on with you cause though, so you can still feel like you're making a difference.
I am actually looking forward to all this VR stuff. In my opinion this will change things quite a bit.
Also I cannot wait to play some oldschool pen and papers with this new Hololens technology, imagine your gamemaster being able to craft a 3d world for you and your companions, being able to manipulate it in real time, all with the swipe of a hand, awesomesauce!
- Log into your account
- Select your main toon
- Press the option to delete and confirm the process
Only then will you find your answer...
I know it's not what the OP's talking about, but for me I've always thought games would be more than "games" when world nations started using games as a competitive means to resolving political, religious, or territorial squabbles instead of war/genocide, etc.
Sway all day, butterfly flaps all the way!
This happens on a yearly basis in EVE Online. Someone will come up with a new ship fit, or a new fleet composition and suddenly everyone in the game will start using it.
The unofficial motto for EVE is; EVE is real. It quite metaphorically is real. One player with the right intelligence in the right situation can effect thousands of other players lives forever. The metagame is just as important, or more important, than the actual flying of spaceships.
Very few games have this level of impact, which is why I keep going back to EVE every time I get bored with another shitty, on-rails WoW clone.
Uhhhh, no it doesn't.
What is this John Lennon hippy crap? No it doesn't.
This is absolutely true. Met some great friends in online games. Especially Canadians. I really like my Tim Horton munching crazy Canuck buddies.
The private sector not having enough funds? Only when society collapses. The only thing government is good at is stealing and subsequently wasting money. I hope you're not thinking that the government will step in and make good games.
I work for my government. In fact I work on military battle simulations, where we use in house "games" to train our military how to fight. These games are built by the government. They look like shit, they run like shit and one of the games that I use on a daily basis requires running several batch files to start different processes before the "game" will even launch. Imagine if you had to double click on half a dozen icons and wait for them to finish running in sequence before you could log into your favorite MMO.
The government sucks at making everything because at the end of the day they don't have a bottom line and they don't need a return on their investment. They have a never ending pile of 100% dependable funds streaming from our wallets to their coffers, so their products never have to meet the same standards.
Global communication will do this for most people even without the gaming aspect. I used mIRC for years to meet thousands of other Shadowrun RPG players before the first MMO even thought to crawl out of the womb. I was involved in dozens of forums for hobbies where we shared ideas across the world on a daily basis. I was learning about other cultures long before gaming thanks to instant global communication.
If you watched any of the E3 convention from last week, then you would already have your answer. Gaming is a HUGE part of the civilized global infrastructure already. The fully packed convention center broke out into thunderous cheering and applause over several upcoming games. Video games ffs. You'd think some scientist just stepped out on stage and declared they had a cure for cancer. No, video games have been more than just video games for almost a decade.
Korea has entire TV channels dedicated to watching RTS games and commentating on them. Korean gamers make more money than most Korean actors and are treated like royalty when they pull up to a club/restrautn in their Limo. I know, I lived in Korea for over a year.