According to my brother, we are on the brink of a "golden age of video games." Analyze the progression of video games from Asteroids to Nintendo 64 to PS1,2,3,4, to all the Xboxes, and then into the future of virtual reality games that you can actively participate in by wearing a type of goggle. Do you feel the next few years will be as promising as he does?
It would interesting to understand why the game industry has risen so much and look at the influence of 3D cinema, where the experience needs to be 'complete' for the audience, like a game. TVs are now in 3D too. Have a look at stats on the rise of the demand for video games too. – Rachel Elfassy Bitoun9 years ago
"There's nowhere to go from the bottom but up," also feels like it's appropriate at this point in time. – Austin9 years ago
It will be interesting to see where gaming will go. Connecting consoles to the internet changed the way we play. We don't have to sit in the same room or even know each other anymore. Of course, the graphics have gotten much better too, though that might not make the games better, but I'd like to see some speculation or insight into what gaming developers are working on. – S.A. Takacs9 years ago
What would the roster of golden age video games look like? Who would you put on your top 5? – george9 years ago
Maybe link it loosely to the how comic book's define their respective ages. Surely, there have been other "golden" ages in Video Games. We should try and demarcate them. Separating by console generation would probably be the best place to at least start. Also need to separate between console, handheld/mobile, PC. – JAKK9 years ago
A "golden" age of gaming, for some, has already passed. I know there are those who consider the first Nintendo games to be part of the "golden" age, because they were the first - the ground-breakers. I think it is important to first define what you mean by a "golden" age to begin with, and then go from there. What makes a particular age of gaming "golden"? – Caliburnus9 years ago
This might be the golden age but all I can help but wonder is how companies are charging us for DLC's. Games are getting way more expensive and giving an advantage to those who can spare extra change. – CarlosRodriguez9 years ago
The golden age of video games were between 2002 till 2011 when half life 2,bioshock and red dead redemption were published – SinaHasani8 years ago
Excuse, who is your brother? – T. Palomino2 years ago
There were some pretty spectacular games from 2015, I would like to see someone comprise a list of the best soundtracks. Take into account different genre/styles of music and why that track deserves its place. Take note that this list would be highly opinionated and how that would be delivered to the audience. It doesn't need to be specifically ten tracks, I just used that number for convenience.
If really delved into, this could be a great showcase and conversation starter! – Ian Boucher9 years ago
Maybe to make it even more interesting of an article, the article writer could even do a survey collection through Facebook or other forms of social media to help give the article another layer of immersion. Then the top 10 is based on the survey results. – Kevin Mohammed9 years ago
This would be a awesome, and a great way for people to find new music. I feel like the Undertale soundtrack is definitely up there, but I'm not sure how the rest of the list will shake out. – Connor Gregorich-Trevor9 years ago
How has the experience of watching video games changed over the past few years? Whether you enjoy watching live streams for the commentary or the competitions, or you prefer watching playthroughs for a handy walkthrough, exploring glitches or simply watching a good story, what would be your reasons to watch games rather than play them?
You should have gap between your question mark and 'Whether' and have d at the end of change to show past tense. – ChrisKeene9 years ago
It's quite interesting occupation! I think, it's also addicts but in the same time is more easy. – LauraJonson9 years ago
Neat topic! How about those "Let's Play"ers on Youtube that review all sorts of games. Many people I know watch them for the Youtuber himself, and not as much the game he's reviewing. – James Smith9 years ago
I wrote a piece for my column in the newspaper I work that argued "Let's Plays" could be this generation's form of arcade entertainment, a social gathering for all your nerdy friends who loved video games? What do you guys think? – CaptainSwift9 years ago
This definitely deserves some exploration! With the rise in streaming and the genre of the "let's play" videos, some in-depth writing on this could do a lot to help those who are unfamiliar with the phenomena to earn a greater understanding. – gabbyfarley159 years ago
Some franchises have been severely capitalized on by their publishers because of their popularity (for example, the Assassin's Creed series). At its current rate, Ubisoft is putting out one to two games a year in this franchise. No matter how many games Ubisoft puts out, fans always seem to buy the next installment, even if they grumble about it while handing over their money.
On the other hand, other publishers like Naughty Dog have one or two notable franchises which have stretched over a span of years. The first game in the Uncharted series came out in 2007, and the final installment is set to release in 2016. Consumers will hand over the same amount of money for a poorly-produced, glitchy Assassin's Creed game as they will for a quality copy of the Last of Us.
Where do you draw the line? Do you purchase games in a franchise you love without a second thought? Does the increased capitalization on certain franchises deter you from purchasing their games? Why do you think people will inevitably buy a game in a franchise that they realize has been milked to death?
This would make a doable article, but I think that whoever writes this article won't have a lot of concrete facts to draw from. There's a possibility that this could be a heavily opinion-based post. That's okay, but just keep in mind that most articles on the Artifice are usually written works with firm foundations set upon facts, research, or statistics. Once again, there's nothing wrong with the author voicing his or her opinion, but usually we encourage people not to write using first person. We want to avoid too much "I think this" or "I think that". It's an interesting idea though! I'm looking forward to seeing what it will look like when someone uses this topic. – Dominic Sceski9 years ago
To me its fairly simple, just look at the game thats coming out next. If that individual game looks good then buy it. The souls series is putting out a game a year but I'm still excited for Dark Souls 3 because that game looks good. In contrast I liked a lot of the Assassins Creed games but disliked how Unity looked so i skipped it. – Cojo9 years ago
Now that video games are becoming a primary mode of entertainment, it would be great for there to be a "tops" list of games to get into by level of difficulty and genre. It could explore the subgenres and the emergence of easy to control mobile gaming and its effects on larger console/computer games.
I like this idea, maybe on a scale of "never touched a controller in your life" to "I am basically welded to it" what games would you recommend. It could either be a personal essay, with the games that the author used to develop their skills, or a look forward to upcoming games, maybe with a pre-emptive look at (whisper it) Christmas presents for gamers. – Francesca Turauskis9 years ago
Maybe you could consider, instead of how easy-to-hard certain games are, exploring why many people think mobile games and the like are more "casual" and easier to play/control over equipment specifically built for control and gaming purposes. – TheLegendofPie9 years ago
An interesting thought.
What genres of difficulty would you choose.
Does it range from "Wheres the X button" to "I remember that money cheat code from 4th grade to Vice City and I'm not afraid to use it"? – ljhilberath9 years ago
Exactly, I was thinking a game like WOW where it is 1 button attack and defend, compared to a similar MMO the D&D where it has complicated spell casting and intricate steps to memorize to complete actions. Also it might be interesting to compare difficulty in story lines like GTA vs Mario Kart. 3D games are also a whole new world of controller acrobatics that take a long time to get used to. – firefly85179 years ago
Perhaps also look at the level of specialization in certain genres. For instance, in FPS games, people have their own preferences in fighting as a sniper or a machine gun-wielding tank. This also affects team dynamics. – tsundoku9 years ago
An analysis on how mobile/casual games have exploded into the market in recent years and why it is that people who play these kinds of games on a daily basis are, by definition, gamers themselves.
Also includes a short section on why a lot of people decide to ignore such a definition and instead criticize those who play casual games like Tiny Tower and Bejeweled.
Funny title! I would also include Angry birds if the writer decides to talk about multiple games, because Angry bird's popularity led to animated shorts and a film that will come out in 2016. – YsabelGo9 years ago
I find mobile games fascinating- whoever writes this should definitely watch the game theory episode about Candy Crush, and the psychology it uses to keep players intrigued. – akasharose9 years ago
Interesting idea. My mother would never consider herself a gamer, but she plays solitaire on her phone on the train home from work every day. – MichelleAjodah9 years ago
There is a great deal of psychology behind why these games can be so addicting. It's actually really interesting, and it will be interesting to see how whoever takes this explores the topic. – Vexliss9 years ago
This makes me want to interview my parents on the subject. My dad considers himself a gamer though he doesn't have time to play much other than Marvel's Contest of Champions. But my mother detests the idea even though she plays more mobile games than him. – TGoutos9 years ago
Many childhoods involve classic Nintendo games that are still ongoing series, like Mario, Zelda, and Sonic. People still play their games when they are older but have different experiences, some of these games, like super smash and pokemon, are even used in game tournaments. Analyze how some of these games still hold entertainment for all ages, some fail in a certain age group, and maybe what these games should be doing to provide for both audiences. The evolution of certain game series should be taken into account for as well.
Maybe discuss the distinct need and benefits (and potential harms) of having games with these extremes, those which equally appeal to all ages, but also those which exclude either adults or children from finding enjoyment. Perhaps ask whether there should be a widening or narrowing of appeal, and I would suggest not just focusing on Nintendo. I don't think this needs to just be focused on old games which have been accepted by an adult audience. – Matthew Sims9 years ago
The lifespans of demographics are fascinating. – Ian Boucher9 years ago
It seems that thought-provoking and emotionally-stirring stories are finally starting to matter in the vicissitudinous video game industry. Games such as The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite have been lauded for taking new directions in their approach to narration and storytelling. Even more notable examples include Telltale's Walking Dead, the Stanley Parable, Gone Home and (most famously) Journey, all of which have received critical acclaim from critics and players alike for their strong focus on story and narration. As technology advances and budgets are expanded to include professional storytellers from art, literature, television and cinema, it seems that some in the video game industry is willing to undertake more ambitious and creative projects in regards to how games can tell a heartfelt story. With all this mind, will the video game industry eventually be primarily focused on storytelling and narration?
This has been going on since the beginning of the Final Fantasy series, which have evolved into one of the largest and greatest video game series of all time. The story lines and cinematics in these games have become more complex and longer in duration than many films. It would be interesting to look at the adaption of Hollywood filmic techniques to the video game film, especially with regards to animation. – 50caliburlexicon9 years ago
I feel like whoever picks this up can definitely explore RPGs in general. I know for me, as a gamer, I definitely have a stronger preference for games that have a story. In fact, if you look at Film Theory and Game theory there are a couple of videos that explore video games as the future of film. – Jemarc Axinto9 years ago
As much as it pains me to say, Story mode in video games has slowly become more and more obsolete. While I and many other gamers appreciate and enjoy the classic story mode or single player campaign, we are in the minority. Modern gaming markets itself towards those in favor of more online experiences. Modern gamers prefer to purchase the yearly triple A titles containing little or minimal effort regarding their stories, or a a game with no story at all. Unless more triple A games focus on creating decent single player modes with an emphasis on story, stories in games will slowly dissipate. – Soarin139 years ago
While many gamers who have been playing said games with deep and compelling stories I don't believe that all video games will ever need to have a story to it. Remember that just as there many genres of music and television and films, the same goes for video games. Not every genre of games need a story within it nor a full background detailing the characters or players within the games themselves. You don't need to have stories for puzzle, racing, sports, etc genres of video games. Do some video game makers add stories into those categories? Yes, and there have been quite a handful of them that have become quite popular to the masses. Take for example Minecraft. For so many years it has just been a sandbox game of survival or free creativity. Yet now we have a Minecraft Storymode and it has hit off well with many people including some well known YouTubers who specialize in playing the original Minecraft game. Are games with stories behind them compelling? Yes. Are stories needed in every single game created or to be created? No, absolutely not. But I'm sure that there are some genres that can mix well with a well written story to them. – CorbynCostello9 years ago
The major mediums of entertainment are starting to overlap more and more. This is the nature of visual entertainment. And I don't think that's a bad thing at all. Hollywood films are looking to gain the immersion of gaming and video games are looking to gain the cinematic storytelling artistry of film. They are learning from each other and that's fantastic. Filmmaking has been around for over a hundred years so that industry has a large wealth of experience to draw from.
– jamstew9 years ago
It would be interesting to discuss how a badly executed story/ending can affect the game's reception (E.g. Mass Effect 3). Also, another interesting point to discuss is the player's interaction with the story and his or her influence on the plot (via an in game choice system). How has this interaction evolved? How big are those choices and how significantly can they affect the story and game play? Do they add real value, or are they just marketing gimmicks? Another point would be the addition of morality systems and controversial choices. It would also be interesting to discuss the above in light of the emerging virtual reality technologies such as the Oculus Rift. How would this technology affect the player's perception and level of emotional immersion to the story and characters? – kkshoury9 years ago
Soarin13 has a point. But I think the reason many triple A, blockbuster games are avoiding complex and engaging stories is because they're focusing on multifaceted online play. Whether that is a good trade-off, I don't know (I think it isn't), but it would be interesting to explore whether or not gripping and sophisticated stories can be fused with online multiplayer. Mass Effect tried and, in my opinion, did a great job of it in ME3. GoW4 tried and failed miserably. – Bo449 years ago
I agree that story telling and narration are one of the strongest aspects of any good video game. But let's not forget that a good story isn't the only thing that makes for a great game. They must also have great gameplay. For example, although I really enjoy Telltale's stories (although they are beginning to become devalued by their abundance), they have some of the worst gameplay mechanics I have ever experienced. Plus, their engines are broken. On the other hand, I think something like Spec Ops: The Line is a great game because the gameplay is just as tight as any other shooter and the story is absolutely phenomenal. – torourke9 years ago
