The n00b Effect

The idea of story in video games holding back what really could be accomplished in the actual gameplayelements, is something that's been a little heavy on my mind recently.

Do you guys remember a time when being really good in a game got you a pat on the back? Praise? I sure do. Back in the SNES days. (I'm too young to remember NES.)

But nowadays, when you're good at a game, the common 'gamer' would label you as a 'h4x0r', or 'no life loser' and 'U neds 2 gt laydzz nao!!!'

Believe it or not, this actually does have a link between stories in games, and the actual gameplay element. (Is gameplay one word or two words?)

I was going write a 10,000 word essay on the subject, but I found a video which sums up many of my thoughts in no less than 4 minutes. And, what I've been pondering has actually been labelled 'The n00b Effect'.

So, here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7VAhzPcZ-s

Don't forget to come back here and tell me your thoughts on this. I'd really like to know.

I'll admit, I laughed numerous times during that video.

.....hmmm.... OH, clever, you copied Yahtzee, but yeah. Sounds like a rant to me. I find many games plenty challenging these day... Supreme Commander, UT3 on god like difficulty, and so on. Anyway, wasn't being a "good" gamer always based around being good at the game?Angry_Mushroom

The finger is being pointed more at the devs and market, rather than the games themselves, frankly.

Yes, difficult games still exist, but are they not also the least popular ones, along with being the most rare and obscure? Like what many have come to realise, many people who play video games today are looking for an 'interactive 8 hour B movie experience', which is actually a very accurate description of most games today. And, with that mentality of the average mainstream consumer, the actual game play and skill required to go through that experience is virtually zero, unless you crank it up to the hardest difficulty (which is quite rare for people to do these days). Instead of playing a game, people demand story, and if there is no story, the game is bashed to no end (Prime example: Virtua Fighter 5. A more obscure case is The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai) and it's actual game play value is completely ignored.

blah. didn't really care for the vid. it was funny though.

[QUOTE="Angry_Mushroom"].....hmmm.... OH, clever, you copied Yahtzee, but yeah. Sounds like a rant to me. I find many games plenty challenging these day... Supreme Commander, UT3 on god like difficulty, and so on. Anyway, wasn't being a "good" gamer always based around being good at the game?MadVybz

The finger is being pointed more at the devs and market, rather than the games themselves, frankly.

Yes, difficult games still exist, but are they not also the least popular ones, along with being the most rare and obscure? Like what many have come to realise, many people who play video games today are looking for an 'interactive 8 hour B movie experience', which is actually a very accurate description of most games today. And, with that mentality of the average mainstream consumer, the actual game play and skill required to go through that experience is virtually zero, unless you crank it up to the hardest difficulty (which is quite rare for people to do these days). Instead of playing a game, people demand story, and if there is no story, the game is bashed to no end (Prime example: Virtua Fighter 5. A more obscure case is The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai) and it's actual game play value is completely ignored.

[QUOTE="MadVybz"]

[QUOTE="Angry_Mushroom"].....hmmm.... OH, clever, you copied Yahtzee, but yeah. Sounds like a rant to me. I find many games plenty challenging these day... Supreme Commander, UT3 on god like difficulty, and so on. Anyway, wasn't being a "good" gamer always based around being good at the game?Angry_Mushroom

The finger is being pointed more at the devs and market, rather than the games themselves, frankly.

Yes, difficult games still exist, but are they not also the least popular ones, along with being the most rare and obscure? Like what many have come to realise, many people who play video games today are looking for an 'interactive 8 hour B movie experience', which is actually a very accurate description of most games today. And, with that mentality of the average mainstream consumer, the actual game play and skill required to go through that experience is virtually zero, unless you crank it up to the hardest difficulty (which is quite rare for people to do these days). Instead of playing a game, people demand story, and if there is no story, the game is bashed to no end (Prime example: Virtua Fighter 5. A more obscure case is The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai) and it's actual game play value is completely ignored.

Calling games more of a 'art form' is something that always seemed weird to me, because if you call a game 'art', your comparing it to the work of authors and artists.

Compared to them, video games are no less than mediocre when it comes to it's art form.

It rips off Zero Punctuation so much. And for that I really don't like it.

[QUOTE="Angry_Mushroom"][QUOTE="MadVybz"]

The finger is being pointed more at the devs and market, rather than the games themselves, frankly.

Yes, difficult games still exist, but are they not also the least popular ones, along with being the most rare and obscure? Like what many have come to realise, many people who play video games today are looking for an 'interactive 8 hour B movie experience', which is actually a very accurate description of most games today. And, with that mentality of the average mainstream consumer, the actual game play and skill required to go through that experience is virtually zero, unless you crank it up to the hardest difficulty (which is quite rare for people to do these days). Instead of playing a game, people demand story, and if there is no story, the game is bashed to no end (Prime example: Virtua Fighter 5. A more obscure case is The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai) and it's actual game play value is completely ignored.

MadVybz

Calling games more of a 'art form' is something that always seemed weird to me, because if you call a game 'art', your comparing it to the work of authors and artists.

Compared to them, video games are no less than mediocre when it comes to it's art form.

What a complete load of utter tripe. Believe it or not, game companies need to make money. Therefore they'll target the largest audience. Besides, getting the masses is never a bad thing. If you want some kind of 'reward' for your gaming, go play WoW where you grind 24x7.

Also, a GAMER who calls another GAMER a 'n00b' (or any other variant, including the use of '1337 speak) is automatically a **** What kind of a line is 'Your uncoordinated ball of ghey Plllleeeeeaaasseeee, this guy sounds like an angry 16 year old. The speakers just comes across as pretentious self-obsessed idiot.

Lol XD

[QUOTE="Angry_Mushroom"][QUOTE="MadVybz"]

The finger is being pointed more at the devs and market, rather than the games themselves, frankly.

Yes, difficult games still exist, but are they not also the least popular ones, along with being the most rare and obscure? Like what many have come to realise, many people who play video games today are looking for an 'interactive 8 hour B movie experience', which is actually a very accurate description of most games today. And, with that mentality of the average mainstream consumer, the actual game play and skill required to go through that experience is virtually zero, unless you crank it up to the hardest difficulty (which is quite rare for people to do these days). Instead of playing a game, people demand story, and if there is no story, the game is bashed to no end (Prime example: Virtua Fighter 5. A more obscure case is The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai) and it's actual game play value is completely ignored.

MadVybz

Calling games more of a 'art form' is something that always seemed weird to me, because if you call a game 'art', your comparing it to the work of authors and artists.

Compared to them, video games are no less than mediocre when it comes to it's art form.

The thing is video game developers use authors and artists so comparing it to what authors and artists create outside of the video game industry is not an unfair comparison. This is what leads to novels and portraits being created based off of video game IPs along with many other types of medium. It is true that it's ultimately all about making money but it's entertainment in general, which is what people need especially in the world we live in.

It's more important to create a fun experience than an extremely difficult one; that is exactly what multiple difficulty modes are for. There is no reason for a company to have only one (extremely hard) difficulty mode; this would limit the target audience to a niche few; they'd make no money off of it therefore no profit which means no money to invest in future games, etc. Accessibility is one of the keys to a developers success.

[QUOTE="Angry_Mushroom"][QUOTE="MadVybz"]

The finger is being pointed more at the devs and market, rather than the games themselves, frankly.

Yes, difficult games still exist, but are they not also the least popular ones, along with being the most rare and obscure? Like what many have come to realise, many people who play video games today are looking for an 'interactive 8 hour B movie experience', which is actually a very accurate description of most games today. And, with that mentality of the average mainstream consumer, the actual game play and skill required to go through that experience is virtually zero, unless you crank it up to the hardest difficulty (which is quite rare for people to do these days). Instead of playing a game, people demand story, and if there is no story, the game is bashed to no end (Prime example: Virtua Fighter 5. A more obscure case is The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai) and it's actual game play value is completely ignored.

MadVybz

Calling games more of a 'art form' is something that always seemed weird to me, because if you call a game 'art', your comparing it to the work of authors and artists.

Compared to them, video games are no less than mediocre when it comes to it's art form.

Ever heard of the MLG. Those gamers get alot of praise for what they can accomplish.

EDIT: My bad guys my comment is refering to Multiplayer gaming. I like if a single player game is challenging but I like it to be more cinamatic. I wouldnt like a game like Mario. I like games like Gears of War when it comes to single player.

So of a game isn't hard, or not so cheap that you must essentialy luck out to beat certain levels, then it is not a good game.? BTW, beating Contra requires some luck. Having an intelligent, engaging story is far more important than having the game kill you cheaply 1,000 times befoe you luck out.

This guy is the real n00b. His little tirade wasn't even funny, or very intelligent for that matter. Love how he makes 2(count them) big p**** refrences in this one. Real clever.

So of a game isn't hard, or not so cheap that you must essentialy luck out to beat certain levels, then it is not a good game.? BTW, beating Contra requires some luck. Having an intelligent, engaging story is far more important than having the game kill you cheaply 1,000 times befoe you luck out.

This guy is the real n00b. His little tirade wasn't even funny, or very intelligent for that matter. Love how he makes 2(count them) big p**** refrences in this one. Real clever.

heysharpshooter

Ever heard of a book? A movie? That's what they're there for. This whole rant is basically how game designing has gone from creating GAMES to creating interactive movies. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good single player experience every now and again, but I more so love game play over story, every time. What irritates me is how games are marked down for not having a good back story, when games don't even NEED them in the first place. "If the process of playing a game isn't fun for you, then maybe your not a gamer." - That actually makes A LOT of sense, and could explain a whole lot to those who crave story over game play.

[QUOTE="Angry_Mushroom"][QUOTE="MadVybz"]

The finger is being pointed more at the devs and market, rather than the games themselves, frankly.

Yes, difficult games still exist, but are they not also the least popular ones, along with being the most rare and obscure? Like what many have come to realise, many people who play video games today are looking for an 'interactive 8 hour B movie experience', which is actually a very accurate description of most games today. And, with that mentality of the average mainstream consumer, the actual game play and skill required to go through that experience is virtually zero, unless you crank it up to the hardest difficulty (which is quite rare for people to do these days). Instead of playing a game, people demand story, and if there is no story, the game is bashed to no end (Prime example: Virtua Fighter 5. A more obscure case is The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai) and it's actual game play value is completely ignored.

MadVybz

Calling games more of a 'art form' is something that always seemed weird to me, because if you call a game 'art', your comparing it to the work of authors and artists.

Compared to them, video games are no less than mediocre when it comes to it's art form.

Video games are indeed a form of art because it requires a sense of creativity, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it requires a sense of creativity to be an artist does it not?

[QUOTE="heysharpshooter"]

So of a game isn't hard, or not so cheap that you must essentialy luck out to beat certain levels, then it is not a good game.? BTW, beating Contra requires some luck. Having an intelligent, engaging story is far more important than having the game kill you cheaply 1,000 times befoe you luck out.

This guy is the real n00b. His little tirade wasn't even funny, or very intelligent for that matter. Love how he makes 2(count them) big p**** refrences in this one. Real clever.

MadVybz

Ever heard of a book? A movie? That's what they're there for. This whole rant is basically how game designing has gone from creating GAMES to creating interactive movies. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good single player experience every now and again, but I more so love game play over story, every time. What irritates me is how games are marked down for not having a good back story, when games don't even NEED them in the first place. "If the process of playing a game isn't fun for you, then maybe your not a gamer." - That actually makes A LOT of sense, and could explain a whole lot to those who crave story over game play.

But why doesa game have to be hard to provide a compelling gameplay experience? That doesn't make any sense. Can't a game merely be challenging and compelling, or must it throw the gamer into constant fits of rage? And it's not like games are now so easy that a mentally challenged monkey can beat them. Its called HARD and VERY HARD difficulty settings.

And in order to unfold the story, one must play the game. It's not like the game has a "view all the cutscenes and read the script" button that allows the player to experience the story without any work. they have to play the game.

this dumb little video was made by some hermit who thinks he is cool because he is good aat Call of Duty 4 and doesn't use any perks and thinks that kids that do are n00bs. And I would totally ruin this kid in Super Smash Bros. Hope he has fun being "talented" at video games.

Calling games more of a 'art form' is something that always seemed weird to me, because if you call a game 'art', your comparing it to the work of authors and artists.

Compared to them, video games are no less than mediocre when it comes to it's art form.

MadVybz

I can put art on a sheet of paper, or i can put a story on it. Games are the same way, you can put art on a disc, or a story, or even just a funbox for people to bash their heads in with hammers.

Hmm, so people who are not "talented" don't have the right to enjoy videogames? This is one of the most ridiculous and disgusting videos i've ever seen. I mean, the argument is sound, but don't blame the **** gamers.

Pathetic.

videogames are a form of art or at least a compilation of arts, it uses, music, sculpture, voice acting, a form of paint, literature.....or am I wrong?doubalfa

[QUOTE="heysharpshooter"]

So of a game isn't hard, or not so cheap that you must essentialy luck out to beat certain levels, then it is not a good game.? BTW, beating Contra requires some luck. Having an intelligent, engaging story is far more important than having the game kill you cheaply 1,000 times befoe you luck out.

This guy is the real n00b. His little tirade wasn't even funny, or very intelligent for that matter. Love how he makes 2(count them) big p**** refrences in this one. Real clever.

MadVybz

Ever heard of a book? A movie? That's what they're there for. This whole rant is basically how game designing has gone from creating GAMES to creating interactive movies. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good single player experience every now and again, but I more so love game play over story, every time. What irritates me is how games are marked down for not having a good back story, when games don't even NEED them in the first place. "If the process of playing a game isn't fun for you, then maybe your not a gamer." - That actually makes A LOT of sense, and could explain a whole lot to those who crave story over game play.

I prefer a good story in a video game, simply because I enjoy it. People always make the argument: "If you want a good story, then go read a book or watch a movie." But why can't I enjoy a good story and play a video game at the same time? It just enhances the experience for me when I play alone, a ton of other people would agree with me. If you remove story out of video games, then you might as well kiss the RPG genre goodbye, because I don't know why anyone would even bother progressing.

videogames are a form of art or at least a compilation of arts, it uses, music, sculpture, voice acting, a form of paint, literature.....or am I wrong?doubalfa

This is why I love TF2. The overall community is great plus I'm normally the best so I can teach the jerks a lesson.