The Legend of Zelda has always been about Link. Link is generally a young boy/man setting out to save Hyrule from the forces of evil, most of the time that being Ganondorf. However, the identity of Link is sometimes called into question. Is Link a young boy or a man? Ocarina of Time used both, but the Toon games like Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks use a young boy. Originally, it is well known Link is a boy. What changed for the creators to make him a man in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess? And what changed to make them change him back again? What does this do for the franchise? Does it help or ruin it?
It might be helpful to refer to the timeline given by the game creators in the Hyrule Historia: which also brings up the question, are they all the same character at different times, or different characters united by striking similarities? – Luthien10 years ago
They're different. Wind Waker practically confirms this. – SpectreWriter10 years ago
This could be really interesting if the article takes a slightly different direction and discusses the perception of Link's masculinity and how that changes based on his age. In some of the games where he is depicted as younger, his relationship to the female characters in the game is different than when he is older. When he is depicted as a young man, there seems to be somewhat of a bachelor's complex going on: most of the female characters are in love with him, or make comments about how he is "cute" and whatnot (examples: TP, OOT). This is a conscious decision made by the creators of the game. How does it play into perceptions of heroic men? How does Link's performance of masculinity change based on his age? How does his relationship to women change? Ocarina of Time would be a particularly good study because it shows his growth from a child to a young man. – Emilie Medland-Marchen10 years ago
For anyone writing this, research into the timelines is really important as well. It's sort of been made official by Nintendo in Hyrule Historia, but before that was released there were many theories about the different Links and their relationships to one another floating around online (check Zelda Universe). You'd have to decide whether to use the official Nintendo timeline (which is not accepted by some game theorists) or explore the other in-depth theories.
– Emilie Medland-Marchen10 years ago
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 Bitoun10 years ago
"There's nowhere to go from the bottom but up," also feels like it's appropriate at this point in time. – Austin10 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. Takacs10 years ago
What would the roster of golden age video games look like? Who would you put on your top 5? – george10 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. – JAKK10 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"? – Caliburnus10 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. – CarlosRodriguez10 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. Palomino3 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. – ChrisKeene10 years ago
It's quite interesting occupation! I think, it's also addicts but in the same time is more easy. – LauraJonson10 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 Smith10 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? – CaptainSwift10 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 Sceski10 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. – Cojo10 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 Turauskis10 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. – TheLegendofPie10 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"? – ljhilberath10 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. – firefly851710 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. – tsundoku10 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. – YsabelGo10 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. – akasharose10 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
