FeedInnovations of the past
by Seanpk21 on Feb.10, 2009, under Consoles, Developers, N64, Old but Awesome, Opinions, Rant, Wii
Z-targeting was what helped the first 3D Zelda be a success
Innovation is a hard thing to come by. Are we really running out of ideas? Sure there are some original games out there, but how many Nazis do I have to kill, how many touchdowns do I have to score, and how many times do I have to rescue the princess? I’m not trying to say some of it isn’t not fun, I’ve just noticed it has become the same game each time. Whatever happened to good old innovation?
The transition from 2D to 3D on the Nintendo 64 in most cases was pure genius. You cannot deny how awesome it was to roam Princess Peach’s castle for the first time in all three dimensions, or Z-targetting your first enemy then striking him down with your sword. It was not just Nintendo who achieved this, Sony did it with their blockbuster Metal Gear Solid by breaking the fourth wall and laying the foundation for stealth games for years to come.
Newer attempts at innovation have been scarce (Portal), and some even failed (Lair, Wii Music). What happened? Are we really so money focused that developers have become lazy? This could possibly be to blame on the “casual” market, with games containing simple gameplay and user friendliness. A unique story can add to innovation, just look at Chrono Trigger. Unlike the million Final Fantasy spinoffs, the single Chrono Trigger game has been constantly praised for never aging, and that the story is what sets it apart.
I feel its time for developers to stop and think about what made gaming truly great: fun.
February 11th, 2009 on 4:40 am
stop being so nostalgic, with the rise of indie games and digital distribution there are more innovative games released every year.
February 11th, 2009 on 4:45 am
@steve
There are innovative games, fo’sho, but they (almost) all come out of indi studios and developers. The big studios and producers who used to push the medium forward are fast becoming outdated.
February 11th, 2009 on 8:39 am
Actually, I’d say it’s because there’s hardly anything to innovate on. A lot of the things that were once innovative (good story, 3D, Z-targetting) are now the standard instead of innovative. You can do weird shit like in Portal, but there’s very little ideas that can be worked out before you start getting into a whole new genre (like virtual reality). Also, you’re forgetting all the innovation on the Wii.