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Prince of Persia Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Release Date: 12/2/2008 Genres: Action, Adventure Developer: Ubisoft |
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Damnation Platforms: PS3, PC, Xbox 360 Release Date: 12/16/2008 Genres: Action Developer: Blue Omega Entertainment |
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Bomberman Ultra Platforms: PS3 (PSN) Release Date: TBA Genres: Puzzle Developer: Hudson |
| From Pong to Perfection – The Evolution of the Gaming Industry Pt. 2 |
| Written by Shalese Tonks | |||||
| Saturday, August 09 2008 | |||||
 The 80's was home to much advancement in gaming, from the Colecovision, to a better Intellivision, even down to the highly popular Nintendo and Sega Genesis. These new consoles housed some of the best known franchises with titles like Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers, but probably the most impressive was the Final Fantasy franchise. Starting on the NES, Final Fantasy blew gamers minds with its impressive graphics and amazing storyline. This was essentially the birth of RPGs (Role Playing Games) and the beginning idea that games could do more than just entertain with small pixilated figures and a jump button. Following in the footsteps of the NES, the Super Nintendo launched another Final Fantasy game with the release of Final Fantasy 6. This game was a benchmark in the Final Fantasy series due to its more in-depth battle customization options and the sheer amount of playable characters in the game. In fact, it is heralded as the landmark of the series and of the role playing genre. Also following in the genre molders of the 80's are titles like Chrono Trigger. This game was created by the "dream team" of Square (now Square-Enix) and was a major advancement in the RPG genre. Nintendo Power magazine even described certain aspects of Chrono Trigger as revolutionary. From its multiple endings, plot-related side quests focusing on character development, unique battle system, and detailed graphics, Chrono Trigger really showed us that games could be more than we had ever thought possible. During this time, the first real racing games were developed. The two titles known for establishing this market are F-Zero and Mario Kart. F-Zero is considered to be the game that set a standard for the racing genre as a whole. The title was known for having an original scenario as well as its gameplay. It also ran on what was considered to be a groundbreaking technological achievement, for its time, that made the title the first racing game to be developed this realistically. On the other hand, Super Mario Kart could be played by one or two players. This sparked the start of "late night gaming" with your friends in the basement. While the game could be played in single player mode, with the top displaying the course and the bottom either displaying a rear-view mirror perspective or an overhead view of the whole track complete with competitor's positions, the real fun came in the multiplayer. In multiplayer, the bottom screen is assigned to the second player's view. Along with playing with friends, you have other aspects that add to the gameplay. Simply put, you don't just "drive fast" to win. There are different types of cars, with their own advantages and disadvantages, as well as items in the game that can aid you, from Koopa shells to throw at your opponent, to a banana peel to make them slide out. With all the 80's and 90's had to offer in gaming, it was looking like games couldn't get any better! Cue the fighting genre. With the releases of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter for home consoles, gamers really got to bring feed their addiction to these arcade classics. Rather than spend all of your hard earned cash on the nickel arcades, you could demolish enemies from the comfort of your own couch. While Street Fighter concentrated on fighters from around the world coming together to beat the snot out of each other, Mortal Kombat took a much more graphic approach. The game is famous for its sprites (2D images in a 3D background) it is remembered for the amount of blood and gore associated with the title. The most notable example of this is, of course, the fatalities. These were special "finisher" moves that ranged from pulling out your opponent's spine, to setting them on fire. Because of the nature of the fatalities, parent groups cried out - to which the makers of the game came out with "variations" to mock those who felt it was too brutal for a game. These included fatalities such as Fergality, Friendship and, my personal favorite, Babality - where the opponent is turned into a crying baby complete with diaper and all. With all the buzz of video games in the air, Sony decided to get in the mix with the release of the Playstation One in 1995. This housed games such as a new Frogger and Twisted Metal, and turned the gaming public on its head with releases like Final Fantasy VII. Not only did Final Fantasy VII continue with the great story lines and amazing character development as its predecessors, but it introduced a new graphical advancement into gaming altogether. Until then, 3D imaging had failed to really make a mark in gaming due to its taxing need of a high end system to keep the game running smoothly. Final Fantasy VII, on the other hand, was not only a visual treat, but it had evolved the turn-based fighting system even more so than before and is remembered as one of the best Final Fantasy stories to date. After Microsoft saw the acclaim and desire for in-home gaming consoles, they entered the industry as a competitor to Sony. Once Sony announced their newest console, the Playstation 2, Microsoft was hard at work with the release of the XBOX. These two powerhouses with the silent Nintendo Game cube in the background sparked what could be considered the best era of video gaming. We have had so many great games come from these feuds between game companies, like Halo, Call of Duty, and many others. Now, in the current generation of gaming, we have a flood of mind-blowing games. Whether you like your RPGs like Mass Effect and Lost Odyssey, or FPS like Warhawk and Unreal Tournament 3, one thing is for certain, we have come a long way and if history is any indication, we have an amazing future in gaming ahead of us. Share/Bookmark: 
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3.23 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved." |