Sometimes you gotta wonder about the the state of this industry. Our staff ponder this in this weeks Staff Roundtable.

What are your thoughts on the games industry currently? Do we need to move forward, and if so, how?

Conor: For me it seems the industry is kind of in limbo, unsure of where its future lies and nervous about what it means for them. The 3D revolution of the N64 is being brought further by more powerful consoles, but there is only so far it can go. Look at games like Metroid and Starfox and some of the upcoming PC games, do we really have much further to go with graphics? In fact, should we even bother? It's on originality and innovation where most games companies should be concentrating.

On that note, there are some trends currently in the industry that seriously bug me. Firstly, the whole case of sequels. Now I'm all for a developer trying to take a game further and offer more on the story and gameplay, but do we need another Tomb Raider? Or Crash Bandicoot? Or Spyro? Or FIFA? Or countless other half-assed umimaginative sequels whose sole reason for being is to rake in more cash?

Secondly, the amount of crap riding high in the charts because of unintelligent, uneducated mainstream gamers. I f*cking hate how FIFA sells brilliantly while imaginative, fun games like, say, Silicon Valley sell around two copies. Why? Because it "looks kiddy" and no "cool" person wants his mates seeing him with this. No, they have to have the latest footie game, or the most violent shooter. No, who wants original, fun games that try and offer something different?

That's why I'm worried that we are dragging our beloved industry kicking and screaming into the mainstream limelight that will ultimately lead to it going the way of the music and film industry. It's only companies like Nintendo and Sega, and people like us who truly value this industry that are holding it back.


Jim: Personally, I don't think the games industry could be any better for a gaming fan. 3 rival consoles ensure the lowest prices, and the highest quality that one could wish for in this incredibly competitive market. Games have never been more impressive, and the gamer has never before had such a huge range of options. No longer is there just one or two sports games available - there are 2-3 games for each sport. It's frightening really.

But while this extreme competition is great for gamers, it is taking a serious toll on developers and the like. All it takes is for a game to get 3 or 4 bad reviews, and it's demise is just about guaranteed. Sometimes years of work, shattered at the hands of the games press! It will only take a handful of unsuccessful games for a company to go out of business, with it going 100's of game ideas that will most likely never get another chance to spawn.

So as you sit their and play your games that have been tweaked to perfection and made to stand out above the rest, spare a thought for the games that could have well been better, but never given the chance to see the light of day.


Link: The game industry right now seems to be stuck. The last generation of consoles had 3-D to push new interactive ideas and storytelling. FMVs also were created to help tell the story. Now, with the new generation of consoles, developers are under a lot of pressure to created new ideas and great experiences. With the lack of a new element pushing games (like 3-D was for the N64) developers have been forced to dish out very unique ideas (Pikmin and Project Ego/Fable for examples). But they have also been forced to start making sequels. Some sequels are needed (Zelda and Mario of course), but too many sequels is definitely a bad thing. I think that the gaming industry must move on. Developers can make sequels if they want, but they must add that much more to make the game seem new and unique.

One thing that has been in great discussion lately that seems to be the next step in gaming is the realm of online. I believe that online gaming is inevitable, but I don't think that it will be that next step. Multiplayer online will be amzingly fun, but there isn't that much extra that sets it apart from regular multiplayer. One game that may be using online to get to the next step of gaming is the game NeverWinter Nights for the PC. This game allows for players to completely create new worlds and script there own events and even control all NPCs. This adds a lot of replay value and will be quite amazing, but there still isn't that extra (complete) step. The one game that I think that truly does go into the next step is Progect Ego/Fable. The next step (for this game) seems to be total interactivity. But this will not work in all games so can this really be the next step? Maybe the next step is what will be seen in Zelda where graphics no longer matter, but what matters is total immersion into a world. Or maybe the next step will be in Too Human where the line between RPGs and action games is marred. Maybe there isn't any ONE next step but poerhaps many each unique to a game.

What this all rolls up to is that I think that the industry does have to move ahead; sequels should be limited, but not forgotten; and that online isn't necessarily the next step.


Jav: Well, as the saying goes "If its not broke, dont fix it" and obviously many developers see games this way. Its successful once so they make a sequel...it makes sense. True, some of these sequels are terrible, but some of them end up being better than the first, it just depends. On the whole though, the games industry needs to balance out sequels and fresh ideas. Thats why i tihnk nintendo are playing things right, look at all the fresh ideas already like Luigis Mansion and Pikmin but still keeping the sure-fire hit sequels like SSBM and Wave Race in the line. This way its good for everyone. I think its stable and the games you dont want, you dont get, its that simple. You've got to be fair to the developers and see it from their point of view, its a risk coming up with something new.
If anything, more fresh ideas would be great...but im not complaining when sequels are good and where so many sequels are expected and desired like a new Perfect Dark, Conker, Mario Kart, Resi...the list goes on.


Falco: Well, this is my first RoundTable so I'm not completely sure of what to do. Plus I'm out of school and I don't want to think too much.

First off I think gaming companies are making too many sequals and remakes. Yes I do like some of the sequals like Super Smash Brothers: Melee, Final Fantasies, Mario games, Metal Gear Solids, and wide variety of other action/adventure games.

For example: The Final Fantasy series is soon going onto what I call "Chapter 11". The least they could do is re-name the game title. In 15 years they could be up to "Final Fantasy XXXVI" which doesn't seem like an appropriate title for such and awesome gaming series. Instead they need to give it an original title, like what the Mario Series is doing.

Some sequals are needed though, like what Link said. Some of these include: Mario games, Sonic games, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, various fighting games, Resident Evil, Legend of Zelda, and games like Perfect Dark.

Gaming companies do not need to move forward, in my opinion, because I like the gaming the way it is now. Yes I would like to see some online games, but not alot, because that will disrupt the gaming industry by trying to add too much on the "Online Network" and not adding anything to "Single Player Mode".

To conclude this, I just want to say that the gaming companies are doing just fine, but need to lay off of some of those sequels.


Well, that rounds up another Roundtable. Be sure to check back next Sunday when we'll be discussing the differences in US, European and japanese markets.