"Horror" has become a rather subjective term nowadays in that people define it differently and recognize certain qualities of a horror game differently. What is it about certain horror games and/or horror franchises that makes them so successful and so appealing? Is it atmosphere? Is it the amount of jump scares? Is it audio? Is it all of these things combined? Analyze the way the horror game has evolved over the past few decades.
The writer may want to consider (but is certainly not limited to, or required to consider) notable franchises and games such as the Silent Hill franchise, the Resident Evil franchise, Doom, Alan Wake, Five Nights at Freddy's, Amnesia, Until Dawn, Outlast, and/or Dead Space. What is it about these games that makes them so successful in the horror genre? How thin is the line between horror and just plain silly or ridiculous? Lastly, how might publishers prevent recycling and rehashing the same horror tropes when making a new horror game?
Amnesia: The Dark Descent would be great to talk about here because it's been deemed one of the scariest games ever by many, so much so that SOMA, it's successor, was deemed not as scary. I disagree with that because SOMA is mature, brilliant, tension-fueled sci fi horror. (Maybe the genre crossovers like sci fi horror could be a point to bring up? Dead Space, SOMA, Alien: Isolation, etc.) But Amnesia definitely had an influence on horror games. I also think the way Frictional Games changed from Amnesia to SOMA, from frights to existential dread, is something to talk about because it deals with the way horror has changed and is received by an audience. (The reaction that a game is not "scary" without jumpscares and many chase sequences, much like how movies like The Witch are received...) On a smaller note, there's the third person (Silent Hill) and then the now ubiquitous first person POV. I could go on, haha. – Emily Deibler9 years ago
I've never actually had the guts to play horror games, so I'm very interested in reading this once someone takes it (if someone takes it!). The closest I've ever gotten to horror is F.E.A.R. and Bioshock, neither of which are that bad. – Christina Legler9 years ago
About F.E.A.R and BioShock, and also Doom, it's possible their accessibility can be discussed when talking about cross-genre horror games, and how the action shooter element may make the horror less alienating for a player who doesn't enjoy horror games without some genre-crossing. Some may be more open if they, say, like fantasy and sci-fi, and the horror is dark fantasy or sci-fi/cosmic horror rather than "plain" horror. – Emily Deibler9 years ago
That's a really good point! For me personally, I enjoy things with dark elements and the macabre, and Bioshock felt like that for me...which is what made the jump scares and occasionally creepy/horrific parts less traumatic for me. Lol. F.E.A.R. is interesting because, like you said, it's more of a cross-genre game. Parts of the game focus on the creepy horror elements, whereas other parts seem to be strictly FPS (if I remember correctly...I haven't played that game in years). There is a nice balance in there that makes it bearable. On the other hand, something like P.T. (which I didn't have the nerves to play...I only ended up watching walkthroughs on Youtube) terrifies me because of the atmosphere and the constant sense of inescapable dread, since you don't know what will happen or when it will happen because the AI is so advanced. – Christina Legler9 years ago
I was pretty freaked out by the first BioShock, despite being a horror fan. The Splicers were pretty scary, and I have this fear of the ocean. And P.T. is terrifying. It definitely feels confined--and many horror games like P.T., Amnesia, SOMA, and Layers of Fear have no shoot/fight option. In some, you can run and hide, but if it's like P.T., it's just a hallway. There's nowhere to go. And the unpredictability of the A.I. definitely enhances the terror. – Emily Deibler9 years ago
I love horror games. I think the genre is so broad because you have action-horror games that have many jump-scares and monsters, but you also have games that focus more on the atmosphere and narrative to create the horror aspect. It is very interesting. I hope somebody picks up this topic. – Lexzie9 years ago
Explore the difference between RPGs and Literature as the first-person narrative is you in a much more explicit way than the "you seeing through someone else's eyes" of novels. Horror is such an engaging gaming genre not because of the individual elements but because of the user's experience in dabbling in adrenaline and conjuring real and lasting images in the user's mind. You have the safety of playing from your living room, but it feels instead like you've invited the horror into that living room, rather than stay removed form it. If we want to pick apart the elements, the ever-evolving graphics, acute plot writing, dark visuals, swelling and eerie original compositions are all contributing factors, but it's the reward of the cinematic, particularly the jolt in transitioning from "how do I react/escape from this once I regain control" and are thrust back into the game post-cinematic. Those cutaway scenes have developed in ways that contribute instrumentally to the user experience. – PiperCJ9 years ago
Are video games getting better or worse at depicting women? What should they do to change it? How can they find a balance?
I don't have a lot of knowledge on this subject because of my limited experience with video games, but I think it could make for an interesting article. The first female characters that come to mind are the tough warrior types (female knights in medieval fantasy games) or, on the other hand, the overtly sexual types (such as Cortana in the Halo series). This article would need many examples to form a complete argument. – AlexanderLee8 years ago
There's also the tropes of the damsel-in-distress (re: plot device) or the naive/innocent girls who are really there to be love interests (or to be killed off to spur the protagonist onward in his journey). I think the topic might be difficult when considering the amount of female representation across many genres of games. It might help to narrow it down to specific genres or even specific series, or high-selling games with notable female characters. You can even discuss the seeming absence of female characters in certain games. – Karen8 years ago
Could you suggest some thought-provoking video games that could compliment the topic? Some suggestions with a strong female protagonist or sidekick could be helpful. The only one I can think of now is Bioshock Infinite with Elizabeth as the sidekick. Other than that, I think this is a promising topic. – AbeRamirez8 years ago
I would suggest looking into Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite and the damsel in distress trope and how it confirms and breaks from this trope. Also, you might possibly examine Ellie from the Last of Us. She is a very interesting female character. – SeanGadus8 years ago
At least people aren't hating on what they did with Mei in overwatch – TBNRronic8 years ago
In my recent experience I have had the choice to be male or female in many games. In some games, it makes more sense to be male but in other if you were anything but female you would lose. Logically, it no longer makes sense to have just one gender and big companies are seeing that. – Angel10148 years ago
Better in some, worse in others – ZekeAnthony8 years ago
It is always exciting when a console or handheld device launches! But there isn't always great games to play day 1 when a system comes out. With the Nintendo Switch and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launching tomorrow (Zelda is receiving rave reviews from a variety of critics), what are some of the best launch games (on any consoles/handheld) in history?
Note, after playing Breath of the wild for a day, I think it should be high on this list... – SeanGadus8 years ago
Great topic, it should also be noted the impact of these launch titles on their respective console. – shynspears8 years ago
Be sure to go more in-depth with how these launch titles helped the consoles they came out for. – BMartin438 years ago
Or how the console highlighted its features. For example: Super Mario 64 and the analog stick and 3D gaming. – SeanGadus8 years ago
Analyze the steady push of AAA developers to offer "early-access" to an unfinished game, the economics of pre-release hype and how it can immensely help the numbers of a sub-par game (see: No Man's Sky), and the disturbing trend of releasing a game whether it's finished or not–only to release the rest of the game as expensive DLC (Star Wars Battlefront). Are these methods sustainable or will enough disappointment eventually dissuade gamers from preordering?
A good way to drive the point home would be to compare games released before pre-release culture with games being released toady. What would have happened if an unfinished game were released on a system that had no internet access? You could also look at how specific game franchises or developers have changed (for better or worse) over the years. – Disastromancer8 years ago
Have you heard about Star Citizen? It started as a crow-fund project and now its like this whole investment monster. Its initial goal was for 2 million dollars and was slated to be released a few years ago. But as of now, the project has been funded 141 million dollars, thus giving the creators opportunities to make the game bigger than its initial concept. Its gotten to the point where donators have been given unique starships, planets and in-game money. The game itself has become an enterprise and it hasn't even been released. I think people, in this case, like to feel part of something as big as this and be compensated for it. Everybody wins. In the case of DLCs and expansions, I feel like regardless of people not wanting to purchase them, they will still feel peer pressured into it. – jcastro48 years ago
Also, it's worth noting the ways that places like Amazon, through Prime, are incentivizing consumers in the current market to buy physical games. With prime, Tier 2 editions are discounted often to where the MSRP is for a regular Tier 1 "standard" edition, and the same sort of relationship goes for the Tier 3 editions to the Tier 2 editions. Great topic, and worth exploring. – Paul A. Crutcher8 years ago
I feel like preordering is more of a AAA practice, where you see early access done far more often in the indy scene, as paid early access often helps bridge the gap that would normally be bridged by a publisher. – John Wells8 years ago
I'd like to see a discussion on the rising costs of games and the resulting considerations that are being made re: industry trends, such as where the resources are going, and what that means for creativity, innovation, etc.
Also what this means for the on-going discourse re: content vs costs. How much content justifies the cost of the Day One pricetag? Developers are pushing a notion that many hours in an open world will equal more bang for your buck, and so we've seen on-going debate about quality vs. quantity while more and more games are being made in accordance with the "more hours = worth it" mentality. What of those of us who don't have the hours in a week to sink into a game? Do we get left behind?
I work at an electronics store that sells video games- I am also not a huge gamer- and have therefore always been baffled at the exorbitant price tag attached to most games upon their release. I would like to see someone discuss this topic in the way you have proposed. From what I understand, Open-Word maps (such as those available on Skyrim, Grand Theft Auto, Fallout, etc.) are becoming the norm and may be taking away from some of the deeper, more involved narrative interactions (ex. L.A. Noir.) My one suggestion would be to introduce the competition that modern day piracy provides. PC gamers can often pirate games for free and play unlimited time for free on their computer, along with downloading mods, making this platform a more customizable and cost effective choice for gamers. This creates a sales deficit for platform games that a huge price tag helps make up for. Other than the addition of that point I'd narrow the thesis and keep rolling with it. – AndyJanz8 years ago
This, is a topic I would love to see being put forward! Thank you for sharing! – shehrozeameen8 years ago
This is a really good topic. I think there has always been a debate about the value of a game versus the number of hours you spend with it. I don't think you can equate value to number of hours a game takes because you should also factor in the quality of experience, nature of the game and its genre and other factors. The indie video game community is an interesting example of this. Indie games can range in price and range of experience. Online distribution of games through Xbox Store, Steam, Playstation Plus, and The Nintendo E-shop has allowed some companies to sell games for a cheaper price then $60 and challenge some notions of what a game should cost. You can also think about DLC and the sometimes hidden cost it can entain and how companies roll out this extra content, which will be charged for. – SeanGadus8 years ago
It's also important to note how many games are getting price cuts so soon after release. For example, Titanfall 2 and Battlefield 1 can often be found for $30-$40 despite it only being out for a few months. Also, Amazon Prime and Best Buy Gamers Club offer 20% discounts for preorders and games until 2 weeks after release. Lots of analysis could be put into the economics of preorders, the culture of AAA producers pushing pre-orders and how pre-release hype can immensely help a game's bottom line regardless of quality (see: No Man's Sky). – Sofie8 years ago
There are also issues of rising sales goals for video games. When the Tomb Raider reboot came out and sold 3.4 million copies Square Enix later came out and said that it had "failed to meet sales expectations." When games are so expensive that selling a million copies can be seen as a failure, how does that affect the design space? – John Wells8 years ago
There could be an exploration into video game series that release new games every year. It can be an investigation into whether or not consumers are tired of annual releases and how game franchises can suffer because of annual releases. Assassin's Creed is a perfect example because its games have either been hits with gamers or disasters such as Assassin's Creed 3.
Another example could be the Kingdom Hearts series. It seems that game companies have gotten a bit comfortable with keeping gamers strung along with "filler" titles and their overall projects fall by the wayside. But, there are also games like Call of Duty that release every year and sell regardless of their poor ratings. This is an interesting topic to explore. – TreyHerron8 years ago
"Gashapon" is used to refer to capsule toy vending machines that are popular in Japan. People are able to see which characters are featured in a machine, but won't know who they'll get until they put in money. Multiple mobile games from "Pocket Mortys" to "Puzzle & Dragons" use this system, where premium currency will offer a chance to obtain a rare and powerful character at the cost of getting an entirely different character. What is it about this system that gets players to spend their money once or multiple times? How many of top-earning mobile games use this system? Is there a "good way" or "bad way" to implement this system in a mobile game?
Undertale is a game that has exploded to absurd levels of internet popularity since its release in September of 2015, especially considering that the entirety of the game was created by one man, Toby Fox. Playing it myself, I absolutely loved the game–its mechanics, the writing, and the story as a whole. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I may have only liked it because of all the parallels and references the game made to other games and game genres. In other words, I'm not sure I would ever recommend Undertale to someone who has not already played a lot of video games.
I have lots of questions surrounding this topic. Is Undertale only good because of all of its in-jokes? As far as it relates to modern internet humor, that seems to be an essential part of that brand of humor nowadays. Is it a good/bad/neutral thing that this extremely compelling video game is really only accessible to a seasoned gamer? Are there other game genres that are ripe for the type of commentary and inside jokes that Undertale pulled on the RPG genre? Can anyone come up with an idea for a game to poke fun at another genre of game?
Interesting idea! I also loved Undertale, but I am not a huge gamer and I didn't get many (if any) of the major game references. So I wouldn't say that is the *only* reason the game is good. I personally loved it for it's exploration of the whole concept of games (which I suppose ties in to the "making a joke at the expense of games" idea), and the story as a whole. Perhaps, though, this article could still use the concept of the "in-jokes" as examining different ways that the game has been or could be appreciated. E.g. some people love the story, some the in-jokes, some the art. Or discussing the idea of Undertale as a parody of games, instead of making it out to be the only reason the game is good. – Mariel Tishma8 years ago
I suppose the question I'd have to ask is whether or not deconstuction is, by its very nature, an inside joke. Undertale isn't all that heavy on direct references, but it does rely heavily on leaning against preconceived notions of how video games, JRPGs in particular, work. It is, in a way, a conversation about how we play games in game form. That said, like many conversations, it can be hard to participate if you have no context on the subject matter. This is certainly a limitation, but I suppose the question then is if that limitation is so dire as to reduce the value of the work as a whole. – John Wells8 years ago
