End of the Epic Video Games?

[Colin]

...Romey just showed me this article on why the Legend Of Zelda for Game Cube is being produced the way it is... and what the future for GC games could possibly be... and if this works, how will it effect the rest of the gaming world?? Scary thoughts here... but dammit! I *want* my epic video games!!!!

http://www.gamesradar.com/features/game_feature_page_511_1.html

[Stinky Cat]

the new link looks like a midget... i dont ever play video games....

[Tim Drake]

yeah its different that's for sure. But there are some good epic games for GC. I really like Star Wars Rogue Leader.

[kiddiesunshine]

if that's the way nintendo is headed, they'd better be ready to lose some fans and money!

[DarkAngel]

Originally posted by Colin
...Romey just showed me this article on why the Legend Of Zelda for Game Cube is being produced the way it is... and what the future for GC games could possibly be... and if this works, how will it effect the rest of the gaming world?? Scary thoughts here... but dammit! I *want* my epic video games!!!!


I haven't checked out the article, so I really don't know what's being done, but if you want epic, there'll always be Final Fantasy. Not on GC, of course, though I suppose there's always the possibility.

[Colin]

Originally posted by DarkAngel


I haven't checked out the article, so I really don't know what's being done, but if you want epic, there'll always be Final Fantasy. Not on GC, of course, though I suppose there's always the possibility.

Well, definitely need to read the article...

because if Nintendo's plan works... and other companies notice this, it will have an impact on other companies and other games... the video games we have now may not be the same in a few years if they think gamers want shorter games... Final Fantasy will definitely be impacted...

[The Clown Prince]

Oh boy... I've been a Nintendo devotee and loyalist since the original NES. I've stayed away from all that was Sony PS1 and 2, and the new X Box. BUT, if this is the way Nintendo is going, I may look toward a new console. With future games coming up like Eternal Darkness, the newly redone Resident Evil franchise, Perfect Dark 2, and Metroid Prime, Nintendo will keep me around. But if in the future, they stray away from all that, after more than 13 years, I will say goodbye to Nintendo.

The Clown Prince

[Bird Boy]

pish tosh...there is nothing wrong with Nintendo...Heck, even those new "Epic" games are short and all that blagger crap...

video games will continue to get shorter w/ better graphics...and it'll probably stay that way...

nintendo can head any which way they please and their games will still be cool to me..

even thought it doesn't have much to do with this post, I'm going to use the newest Smilie face:

:dot:

:D

-BB

[Roman Legion]

Originally posted by DarkAngel
There'll always be Final Fantasy. Not on GC, of course, though I suppose there's always the possibilityAlas, after the FF movie met with disaster, Sony took the opportunity to bail out Square, and is now their 2nd biggest stock holder. Don't think we'll ever be seeing a Final Fantasy title on another console for a long long time to come.
Originally posted by Colin
The video games we have now may not be the same in a few years if they think gamers want shorter games... Final Fantasy will definitely be impacted...The series has *already* undergone a lot of change, remember. And we'll be seeing even more change when one of the ones down the road is entirely based on online play... we'll see how it works out.

--Romey

[Failure]

I dont know if this will be too bad actually. Personally, I loved the epic-ness of Zelda, because the storyline was so interesting, and because I was a huge fan since the early days. But I barely got halfway through Mario because I just lost interest.

At the same time, I would like the choice to choose to play an epic like Zelda or Mario if I wanted. I dont think it's particularly smart for Nintendo to phase out all of the epic games. This will prolly cheese off the hardcore gamers more, I dont think it'll affect someone like me, who sucks at video games and requires guides whenever anything gets remotely difficult, that much (unless these new changes mean someone like me can finish the Zelda in less than a week, then we have some problems).

In the end, I hope they keep some of the epic games around, just so we all have the option to play them. I wonder how this will affect the replay value of games though.

[Jowy Blight]

I like the epic's in Zelda, even though I can finish them in about three weeks (that would be non-stop). As for a Final Fantasy game that is only use online, that's pretty messed up seeing as not eveybody has computers in their home.

Like Failure said though, this will most likely piss off some fans of the hardcore games. As long as we don't lose too much by shortening these games, I don't have a problem with it.

[The Mad Hatter]

Guess what? It's not just Nintendo. IGN has reported repeatedly that Sony is developing shorter games with flashier graphics... and is encouraging their developers to do the same. ICO is a good example of this... I loved it, but I blazed through it in a little over five hours.

The article pretty much nailed why they're doing it... to make games more accessable to the mainstream. I've heard numerous casual players complain that games take too darn long to finish. So, with shorter games, there's more gratification to the masses.

Still, I don't think this is the death knell for "epic" games... Final Fantasy games remain long, and they sell like crazy... the Baldur's Gate series is EXTREMELY long, and it sold well also.

However, I think it was strange of the article to tie this trend to the new Zelda. Think about it... we don't know how long the new Zelda is going to be. It still could be epic. And the "shorter" game trend isn't tied to kiddification... I don't know about Nintendo, but Sony's edict toward shorter games is aimed at all their games, not just the kid-friendly ones.

Also, I don't agree that they say there will be less time spent on graphics... from what Sony's saying, there will be MORE time spent on graphics. Eye candy is what sells to the mainstream. And the new Zelda's graphics aren't simple... a look at the Space World demo, and you can see that they're spending an insane amount of time on the animation.

[Scythemantis]

regarding the transition from serious to "cutesy"...

.........

GOOD! BWAHAHAHHAH!


I hated the N64 zeldas,everything about em...they were TOO serious and dramatic...In my opinion there are too MANY serious games and to me,theyre all exactly the same...boring! Like soap operas!

The cartoony cutesy zelda looks like the greatest idea nintendo ever had...it dares to be different from all the other stuff (it all looks the same!) without a care for the potentially huge contraversy from fans (screw `em!)

Similarly,I absolutely despised final fantasy 8 and truly loathe the way X is looking,but 9 was my favorite of the series.

[electricsheep]

sure, lots of newer games are becoming shorter, but there are still games out there that will always be longer, because people want their money's worth...

[Bird Boy]

There is a new game for GameCube coming out called "Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet" (I think that's the title)..

While it's not my cup-o-tea...it looks to be one of those "epic" titles RARE is always putting out. You guys should check out some of the screens and video's...impressive graphics and huge worlds..what more could you ask for? :)

-BB

[Nightwing]

I totally forgot about that Starfox Dino deal. Good job bringing it up, Double B, cuz that might just be the example we need to keep us from having negative thoughts about Camecube's Zelda. Just because things are shortened and the graphics are simplified so they can be better overall doesn't mean we're neccessarily doing the "kiddy-izing" of a game. Star Fox, in it's Dino form, doesn't seem like my cup of tea either, (I'd rather be back in the air with my team like I was on N64) but it just might be a cool game.

I like the epic games though. I think they're great, and I don't understand how people could not like them, because they're kind of like the gamer version of those awesome face paced dramatic animated movies we love so much. Except this time you're in the driver's seat. Not to mention the fact that Link is the RPG and gaming world's number one hero. Gotta love him. :)

And just to be clear, I'm ONLY OK-ing this change if it's to produce better games, not to make things more kid friendly. And this better not be just an excuse to reduce the work done on games as far as design and detail of game play.

[Bird Boy]

actually, one of the added bonus's in Star Fox/Dinosaur Planet..is there is actually a couple space missions in which you fly your ARWing..

-BB

[The Mad Hatter]

Oh yeah, looking forward to Dino Planet. Supposedly it's going to be a lengthy game... and Rare folks at their official site, www.rareware.com , (great, hilarious site! Go there now!) said that there will be SEVERAL Arwing sequences. Cool.

Speaking of Final Fantasy... since I had forgotten to tell Square that my video game column is defunct (sigh), they sent me a copy of Final Fantasy X today. Happy...

[Bird Boy]

Originally posted by The Mad Hatter

Speaking of Final Fantasy... since I had forgotten to tell Square that my video game column is defunct (sigh), they sent me a copy of Final Fantasy X today. Happy...

lol..at least you got one last one, good, game out of it.. :)

-BB

[Scythemantis]

I remember Rare saying that conkers bad fur day would be their very last game because "noone would ever forgive them for it"
That was pretty funny.
(But will there ever be another conkers!?!)

[Bird Boy]

Originally posted by Sting chameleon
I remember Rare saying that conkers bad fur day would be their very last game because "noone would ever forgive them for it"
That was pretty funny.
(But will there ever be another conkers!?!)

I believe a GCN sequel is being talked about...man I hope so..playing CBFD was hilarious..

-BB

[The Mad Hatter]

With Rare, there's no telling! But as Conker said, "We live in hope."

And as The Great Mighty Poo said, "I'm going to take your head and ram it up my butt!"

This moment of immaturity has been brought to you by Rareware, bringing you games with that extra special touch... that is, copious gaseous emmissions.

[Alaskanbullworm]

Oh yea, BFD is one of the best shortest game I've ever played. The Great Mighty Poo is the best character, but if there is a sequel, what will they do about Berri. You know Rare, they are always hush, hush until a few months before a release date of a game.

[Chris Sanders MSX]

The way a game looks has nothing to do with how Epic it will be. All the other Zelda and FF before the 32-64 bit age were done in pixels and were just as epic as the 3d games. And Link has always been a midget, he's an elf like creature for gosh sakes.

The OoT thing was a one time deal, that game staryed farther from the rest of the series than any thing. Trust me, this game will be epicm I mean yeah their changing the style of it, but they've ALWAYS changed the style and the games quality always remianed.

So don't worry. If REAL epics are what you crave, I ADVISE YOU TO GET INTO PC GAMING. Now thats epic.

And yes Their will be Conker Sequal..The VA for conker just signed a new contract. I doubt if they'd waste that.

[The Mad Hatter]

Eh? The VA for Conker signed a new contract? I hadn't heard that... and I didn't know that was necessary, considering that Chris Seavor, the voice of Conker and pretty much every other character in there, was also the director of the project. Or do you know something we don't? Make with the details! :wakko:

[Colin]

Originally posted by Chris Sanders MSX
[B]The way a game looks has nothing to do with how Epic it will be. All the other Zelda and FF before the 32-64 bit age were done in pixels and were just as epic as the 3d games. And Link has always been a midget, he's an elf like creature for gosh sakes.

Whoever said it was about the way it looks? The article, should you actually have chosen to read it fully, was about all the changes Nintendo is making in the game... (ie the graphics style, the length of gameplay, etc.) Epic in our sense is talking about the length of gameplay, NOT the graphics style...


The OoT thing was a one time deal, that game staryed farther from the rest of the series than any thing. Trust me, this game will be epicm I mean yeah their changing the style of it, but they've ALWAYS changed the style and the games quality always remianed.

Sooo... in all the previous versions of Legend Of Zelda, Link never had to save Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon?? ...I guess I should have paid better attention to all those other Zelda games I played... and heck, why even call it Legend Of Zelda if you aren't gonna start rescuing Zelda until how many years into the series??

...me thinks you've gotten Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask confused...


So don't worry. If REAL epics are what you crave, I ADVISE YOU TO GET INTO PC GAMING. Now thats epic.


Right, so instead of having a game that is dependable because it will work under virtually any circumstance on the system, let's throw it all away and place all my video game desires on the basis of my Processor and my memory allocations... So, is it the fact that some of these games are so huge that you run out of memory trying to play them what makes them epic??