Sunday, February 04, 2007
Games from previous eras are often dismissed as being unsophisticated, lacking the visual flare of more recent offerings. But these are games that have held their audiences rapt and had reviews claiming that they have revolutionised the entire industry. So is it possible to look at games from the 70’s and 80’s now and appreciate them for their own inherent worth?
When we look at games from previous era’s we need to remember their context. Look at graphics and sound in terms of what could be accomplished with technology at the time. Aspects of the game that were limited by technical constraints should be judged within their technical constraints, and praise given for games that found new ways to show us what they were.
Also it is important to look at the aspects of design that were implemented. If someone showed us a new idea, a fantastic vision, or introduced us to a way of telling their story we hadn’t seen before, we should respect that.
Lastly, and most importantly, games should be judged on how well they involve their players, how fun they are. This is a criterion which is not diminished by the presentation, but remains constant whatever the year.
When we look at games from previous era’s we need to remember their context. Look at graphics and sound in terms of what could be accomplished with technology at the time. Aspects of the game that were limited by technical constraints should be judged within their technical constraints, and praise given for games that found new ways to show us what they were.
Also it is important to look at the aspects of design that were implemented. If someone showed us a new idea, a fantastic vision, or introduced us to a way of telling their story we hadn’t seen before, we should respect that.
Lastly, and most importantly, games should be judged on how well they involve their players, how fun they are. This is a criterion which is not diminished by the presentation, but remains constant whatever the year.
# posted by Matt @ 10:39 AM 
