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Video Gaming Will Take Over

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Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#91

Post by hnick »

dublinben wrote: post #36
giancarlostoro wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh right, console gamer problems. I guess cloud gaming will make them happy, I really hope it doesn't bleed over into PC gaming.

Isn't it already a meme that Steam seems to always require updates before you can play anything?

Steam seems to patch very quickly so that's never been an issue for me.

Some games patch very poorly due to Steam's update mechanism. Path of Exile is notorious for this, to the point many download the standalone client instead. The issue is that it uses one big file for data and this interacts poorly with steam (a tiny patch will take half an hour to apply after downloading, even on SSD).

Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#92

Post by amiantos »

Article seems to forget that there are vast swaths of the population that do not play games. They do not have the patience to learn how to play games, not even console games with simpler controls. Even casual games require some level of skill to play, or they're not any fun, and the joy of television is that you do not need any special skill to enjoy it. This isn't even getting into people who view games as a waste of time, worse than television--at least television can sometimes teach you something, most games do not. You could try to argue that because a lot of children play games, future generations will be more game-focused, but I still don't believe that it's even close to a simple majority of children who like playing games as much as watching video content. Video content will always win because they don't take much (or any) energy (physical, mental, or emotional) to enjoy. I think most people find that you reach a point in the day where you're too tired to literally do anything else (no reading, no gaming) but stare at video until you're ready to fall asleep.

Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#93

Post by fumar »

agumonkey wrote: post #82
cookie_monsta wrote: post #76

There's a point that the article only brushes on that seems important. My generation (born in early 70's) was the first to really come up with access to video games pretty much as a given. We had space invaders etc in the arcades (or wherever else they could fit a cabinet), hand-held Nintendo and basic home consoles in primary school and then of course came the boom with PC, PS, X-Box and all that followed. But a lot…

I'm a tad younger than you and I'd like your opinion. I stopped caring about the gaming industry because 1) even if it's entertainment, I think the deep value is .. as a kid thing. It's not dismissive, I just think that gaming value has limits. It's a dreamy world you interact with and that fits the younger brain. As adults you'd rather master the real world more. 2) I find games today not much more original than in…

I recently started gaming after a good 8-10 years of non gaming. I installed Dirt Rally and bought a racing wheel controller. It is a blast to drive in a simulator-like game. I don't think it is a game I would've have enjoyed as a kid or a teen. The current gaming landscape is broad and covers more niches than ever before. Explore games that align with your interests.

Your 1st argument could be made for watching television. Television shows also range from self-learning to toddler cartoons to historical dramas.

Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#94

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #65
setr wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

PC gaming is already just playing catch-up on all the console strategies. That battle was lost as soon as Steam became popular (and game renting indefinitely became enforcable, even for offline games, on PC).

I was surprised this generation to see that they still have disc drives in consoles. I imagine next gen they'll finally be gone.

"Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes hurtling down the highway."

Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#95

Post by waddlesworth »

xmonkee wrote: post #57

This analysis is completely missing out on the auteur angle of media production. Games Are Not Art (Yet). Even if they get immensely popular, they will not be as culturally relevant as movies or books. A mind like Orson Welles will never be compelled to make the Citizen Kane of games. I think at some point cookie cutter cinema like Marvel will seamlessly blend into the cultural domain of video games. Movies like that…

I definitely disagree with this, it sounds like you're only taking into account the big budget titles that the media talks (and complains) about.

My favourite story game, Life is Strange from DONTNOD, literally brought me to tears. Going through the Steam reviews, you'll find this is a common reaction. It was still in my mind weeks after I had completed it. Easily the most compelling piece of entertainment (and yes, Art) that I have ever experienced.

No movie I have ever watched has solicited that response.

Even something like the quest line in Warframe I've found more compelling than most movies (shout out to DE's writers on this one).

It's hard to say for Citizen Kane specifically, but I'd wager more people have seen Avengers: Endgame than any particular contemporary equivalent. Just as more people have played Fortnite than either of the games I've mentioned above.

You can definitely find truly powerful art in the video game medium, if you're willing to look.

Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#96

Post by anchpop »

Aaronstotle wrote: post #71
Darkphibre wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reminds me of an op-ed from 1900 about how books were destroying the youth, for they never looked up at the world around them. :)

I think that the major difference is a lot of games/apps are tailor made to produce dopamine/cause addiction. While a good book _can_ be addicting, it's not inherently stimulating.

Why would a book not be made to produce dopamine? They're written by people trying to make the most engaging and profitable story possible

Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#97

Post by majormajor »

VLM wrote: post #20

The author has an unusual water cooler. I pulled the viewership stats and well under two percent of the population watches "The Bachelor", so in somewhat more than 49 times out of 50, a water cooler discussion about legacy media would be met with "huh?". According to some Google research, there are typically around eight million concurrent fortnite players, which implies for every two people watching The Bachelor, th…

You'd also want to know recurring rates, 30-day unique numbers, and stuff like that... but even aside from all that...

Traditionally media product consumption is very age-stratified, with people time constraints and choices changing with phases of life.

Even historically pre-games, this would apply to the types of shows or movies, so the most popular teen show in the world may not dominate office chit-chat the same way the most popular-among-adults entertainment would, say Monday Night Football.

Now there are way more forms in play then there used to be. Fortnite is very new. Gaming participation among my age group (millennial) certain has changed with aging, as many of my former die-hard gamer friends no longer devote nearly as much attention to it, but have picked up "old person" habits like passively watching HGTV while doing household chores instead. Similarly, even now when I'm working with very gamer-heavy coworkers... it's not Fortnite.

So it's entirely possible for something to dominate in revenue and overall any-single-instance participation numbers yet be less relevant to the "mainstream" mid-20s-to-middle-aged conversation... It's also possible for that conversation to continue to fracture.

Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#98

Post by sgarman »

amiantos wrote: post #92

Article seems to forget that there are vast swaths of the population that do not play games. They do not have the patience to learn how to play games, not even console games with simpler controls. Even casual games require some level of skill to play, or they're not any fun, and the joy of television is that you do not need any special skill to enjoy it. This isn't even getting into people who view games as a waste o…

Get in line. People have been making that argument since the dawn of time. Even "writing" was heavily criticized over memorization and oral story telling. Each criticism declaring the end and ruin of civilization.

If I had to pick one of them to actually make this complaint against it would be computer (AI) generated content optimized for clicks on video websites (think kids videos on youtube).

Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#99

Post by TylerE »

navs wrote: post #14
FooHentai wrote: post #3

>Cloud gaming means you will be able to take your game “everywhere” and avoid dreaded 20-minute updates before you can start playing. Doubt. In the same way that movies on PSP had this idea in mind but fell flat on it's face, games are strongly tied to the format and environment in which you consume them. FPS gaming with a keyboard and mouse isn't coming with you on your phone for the morning commute, and no amount o…

I thought much the same but recent experiences with my cousin's children give me doubt. They're both in the early teens now and they consume games like Minecraft on their iPad as if they were playing on a standard PC. I know the games have been tweaked for the format but not by much, at least in the instance of Minecraft. The virtual controls infuriate me but they're tapping and swiping away building some complex cre…

Makes me wonder what kind of spine and RSI issues that generation will have in 20 years

Re: Video Gaming Will Take Over

#100

Post by [deleted] »

FooHentai wrote: post #3

>Cloud gaming means you will be able to take your game “everywhere” and avoid dreaded 20-minute updates before you can start playing. Doubt. In the same way that movies on PSP had this idea in mind but fell flat on it's face, games are strongly tied to the format and environment in which you consume them. FPS gaming with a keyboard and mouse isn't coming with you on your phone for the morning commute, and no amount o…

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