Happy Not-So-New Year! Travis here again, resuming my march through the best and worst that the video game industry had to offer this generation. I apologize for the delay, but I believe my better half has explained the hiatus fairly well, so I will not bore you with the details again. For my guidelines on this list, make sure to check my previous post if you haven’t already. Now, onto the list…
*THE “MORE LIKE INNO-WAIT” AWARD*
Get it?! Inno-wait instead of Innovate?! Isn’t that… bad pun… yeah… This award is going to the “innovation” of the last generation that came out of the creative oven a little too soon. Really, I feel like there is only one consideration for this award…
Microsoft Kinect
The Kinect shows a lot of promise. I can see it being used for so many practical purposes in the future. The keyword there is FUTURE. The Kinect came out way, way too soon. Instead of being this killer feature for the next iteration of the Xbox, it became a “look at what we can do” add-on for the 360.
The biggest problem with the Kinect was a lack of support. There were some great apps that came out for it. However, that is all they felt like. One of the best games for the peripheral Fruit Ninja, was actually available originally on the Apple App Store. Beyond that, the only games that showed the true potential of the Kinect were the dancing games like Dance Central and workout simulators like Your Fitness. Most of what is left are mini-game collections that reduced most families to looking like… well…
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| Source Unknown |
As I said, I see a bright future for the Kinect as it is refined and fit into the plans of more developers. Even the menu system guided by hand will attract more people to system due to ease of use. As of now though… there isn’t really anything there to justify the purchase, and I feel it came out way before it was ready.
Other Contenders:
After seeing that pic, can you think of any?
*BEST INNOVATION*
User Generated Content
I know what some of you will say. User generated content (UGC for the sake of brevity) is nothing new. People have been creating mods for PC games for years. (Some of which become as succesful as the original game, such as Counter-Strike) However, UGC really came into the mainstream this generation. Games like LittleBigPlanet and Minecraft allowed players to truthfully express their creativity and imagination for the first time.
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| Source: Joystiq.com |
I still remember playing the user created levels on LittleBigPlanet for the first time. Some of them were “Meh” but then I remember coming across the level that blew my mind. Somehow, a person had taken the tools to create a side-scrolling platformer and used them to create a perfect re-creation of Galaga. Then there were levels that allowed Sackboy (the customizable protagonist of the game) to run through recreating the songs heard on pop radio. As I delved deeper, I found levels where players had taken the tools provided to them and created their own tools! The best example I remember right now is a fully functioning piano. OH! And a slot machine. The best part was the ability to share these creations with fellow gamers so they could take them and make their own levels with these tools.
Then there is Minecraft. Imagine if 8-bit games were made in 3D. Now imagine if you got to build your world pixel by pixel. So many fantastic things have been made in Minecraft. Not long ago, I watched a re-creation of the opening scene from The Lion King, complete with a full scale replica of Pride Rock! All created block by block. World monuments, starships, natural wonders, and original work… all have been created in the blocky glory that is Minecraft. People can even work together to create these pixelated masterpieces.
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| Source: Planetminecraft.com |
In an industry where the consumer has always been presented with a finalized experience to enjoy, it was a refreshing change to have the power to shape our own experiences this generation. I wonder what form UGC will take in the future.
Other contenders:
Motion controls (Wii)
Achievements/Trophies
Touch controls
Short post, I know. Cut me some slack… I’m just getting back into this! Make sure to check back in a couple of days as I continue my recap of what I liked and didn’t like about this generation. In the next post, I will be talking about the best graphics, best sound, and best story. Until then, what did you think of my choices in this post? Be sure to let me know in the comments. If you have any specific categories that you want to see, please tell me about those as well. Until next time, this is…
*GAME OVER*
Motion control has been the bane of my existence for quite some time. If companies that develop motion-oriented games took half the time and resources to further develop their buggy, poorly-designed motion peripherals and games, the industry would be much better off.
I can confidently say that the smoothest game on the Wii using motion controls was Wii Sports. Every subsequent game was horrendous unless it did not involve motion controls (read: every Wii game created).
Good post though. Couldn’t agree with you more.