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/g...age_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:





-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 possibility

Alas, 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!?!)