The Gamer's Quarter

Ryan - SuperWes' Bane · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:23 am Post subject: Shenmue and "Mother"

Two of the best things to ever happen to RPGs. They breathed fresh air into a tired genre that seems to think in order to make an RPG you need dragons, medevil times, and swords. Why is it that more companies haven't picked up on this and created newer games based on a present day model instead of the same old same old? It seems to me like everybody wants to be or CLONE Final Fantasy, and nobody wants to actually make an original game anymore.

Does anybody else think that we are reaching the saturation point in the current gaming market? Sequels, Trilogies, anthologies . . . I just really wonder if WITH this next console generation what we really need is Final Fantasy 15 and GTA 5. It's been said that the current specs of the PS3 and 360 are almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. The only other games I can see making an honest attempt at re-establishing a genre or creating a new one is Ico/Shadow of the Colossus and the Metal Gear Solid series . . . but there are to be more, right?

Sorry, this is a lame attempt at trying to start a decent thread, which I probably have failed to do yet again.

DaleNixon · . Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 179

Dead Rising is something new and unique. Confirm/Deny

Ketch · . Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 420

Do the Sims count? How about Yakuza, and Animal Crossing?

Ryan - SuperWes' Bane · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:58 am Post subject:

Couldn't you consider Animal Crossing just to be a Harvest Moon clone? I mean, I've never actually PLAYED Animal Crossing, but what do you think about that comparison? And the Sims . . . is that really something that redifined the simulation genre? Hasn't every Simulation game done that? Each one is pretty unique.

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

I would not call Animal Crossing a Harvest Moon clone.

GilloD · . Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 33

As excited as I am for Dead Rising (It not only sold me on an XBox360, but a 32" TV on which to savor it's HD goodness), it looks to be little more than a better thought out State of Emergency.

I suppose the sheer number of enemies could bring about a kind of chaos and excitement we haven't seen yet, but it doesn't feel like a "leap" to me. The last thing I played that made me feel like we were going places was HalfLife 2. The whole first act is just mindblowing and it only gets better from there. That's the kind of seamless, thoughtful immersion that should be defining next gen gaming.

GilloD · . Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 33

Ketch · . Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 420

So are you after games that redefine our expectations? Or modern-day RPGs?

Swimmy · . Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 990 Location: Fairfax, VA

DonMarco · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 349 Location: 33903

Shadow Hearts was pretty fresh back in the day.
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Collector of over 1,538 strategy guides. That's weird, right?

Scratchmonkey · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439

The short answer is money.