History of Games Part 3

The history of games is here again and we are now just about up to date with our games and consoles. When i left you last i was talking about Final Fantasy which spans a huge part of the history of games and is one that i see continuing to do so for some time.
I also left you with thoughts of the playstation as i mentioned i first got into Final Fantasy through FFVII in a Downtown Oldrids.
I also spoke of the Horror games Resident Evil, Silent Hill. Which with horror games i can deffinately jump to the Ps2 for what i feel is the scariest game i have played the Project Zero trillogy. It seems to me these games have been passed by and it is a shame because it has a gripping story, great graphics, spine chilling moments that leave you button bashing for safty and it has to be one of the most original games of its genre. Pluss its cheap because no-one knows what it is.
I felt i had to say something about the handheld computers as i dont seem to of said anything at all. I will start with the first one i got which was the old Gameboy.
I still have it and would never part with it. Apart from the Snez and maybe the N64 it has to be Nintendo's greatest invention and was what saw the way to the DS which is selling faster and better than sonys PSP.(said to be a Ps2 in your pocket)
Their have been other additions of hand held consoles that have all failed in the console war between Nintendo and Playstation. This eing that they just have not got the money to advertise and market their product against such monster companys as Sony.
But the fear of competition has grown so much that it has a new competitor.
Microsoft!
It is them with there release of the XBox that left the Ps2 with an actual worthy threat, unlike the cartoony GameCube that did not have enough range in games to stand even the slightest chance in this console war. It was because the peope making the games wanted to sell to the highest bidder and the people behind the console want exclusive games. This does not help in our situation as gamers, as it forces us to make a choice.
When the XBox 360 was released minds were made up much quicker and left their beloved playstation roots behind.
I myself have not but i can tell you that i have most deffinatey been tempted. And i shall tell you why. I was first so amazed by the knowledge of Ps3 that i had to go out and get every mag that even had the slightest bit of news of its release. This was to be my undoing as the more i read the more dissapointed i became. They had began to back track on what they had said so clearly at the begginning and i had heard that one of the prototypes had even expoded when they were testing it out.
By now i felt that i could not include mysef in the console war and decided to go back to where it all began PC gaming.
PC Gaming has come along way since Space War in 1962 and Pong. These are games where you can now even interact with other gamers that you may never meet in your whole life.
A war between the games on PC just doesnt seem to exist and i believe this to be because they are using a range of different methods due to the many specs for PC's.
I had a long conversation with Sophie and she said that she feels that the one thing Nintendo has that no-one else seems to is an eye for the future. This is because if you look at the games for say the Nintendo DS, it is outselling its competitor the Psp, and it does not have even close to the power. Instead the sellng point of the DS mostly depends on its Gameplay and not its graphics. I had to agree she made a good point and the DS is fun and leaves me feeling slightly left out as i hear people talking about how good a certain game is. As if you had not just guessed i dont have a DS but i also dont have a Psp either. I just dont get included in any of it any more, i just play my PC.
Sophie went on to say how it is possible to predict the near future of games. I myself was quite puzzled as how she could do this but what she did say was this:"Graphics of games can only advance so far as their aim is to get as real as life. So when they get to it what will they look at to advance instead. The only thing they can advance is to create new ways of interfacing with games." Which sounds to me very much like virtual reality.
This would expain why she stands by Nintendo and too right they are great developers of games just not that good at thinking up names (Wii) sry another dig thats 2 now.
My idea of the future of games if my experiences are anything to go by. It does not matter if you have a megadrive, DS, Ps1, Ps2, Xbox, Xbox 360 or a gamecube just about all of the gamers out their play at least ONE online game wether it is free or has online fees. Runescape for instence as rubbish as it is it has a huge following.
Soon games will do full circle and consoles will become as powerful and probaby as useful as a PC.
They are already building consoles with huge built in memorys and removable hard drives. It just needs a few more alterations and advances and were there. Gaming online has increased more and more over the ast years due to simular reasons i have. Others i dare say have just realised its superiorty over the consoles. People have said to me that you can go online with a console as though i didnt know...DUR! But no way in hell is their even close to the choice of online games that their are on PC.
My dream for the future of games would deffinately be a Virtual RPG simluar to Baldurs Gate or Guild Wars. It would be completely online and would then allow you to actually interact with other people all over the world person to person. I think that it would be a completely original way of interacting with people as it could be used by anyone for anything such as meetings.
It would work in a simular way to the Jedi counsil in Star Wars where they appear as a hollowgram but instead you would be able to physically interact in a fully virtual world.
The only thing with my idea is that we are little way of making anything like that yet.
The only main concern on my mind and i would say on alot of people in my position is that where does that leave someone trying to get ito the industry of games. Well i think that it might work in our favour because it seems as though people are so sure of what they want from the industry they can make their choice of path fairly simply. And if the console war comes to an end i fear that could be worse as with no competion they wont seek any new talent. As the saying goes if it aint broke dont fix it.
All i need to know is whatever happens i have to get as best grade as possible because they wont imploy 2nd best. They want only the best. No pressure then. Gulp!
Im not worried, cya next time.