Just finished Halo2

[Felch]

Re: Re: Just finished Halo2

Originally posted by child of Thor
I think console games are generaly aimed at kids - so there is a slight disparity in game difficulty in comparison to pc games.

I also get a feeling that its part of the design - your meant to finish it quick, then go out and buy the next 'hot' game - its the way they are being made more and more these days

I think it's much more a matter of the latter than the former. I personally think that games have gotten easier because older people play games now than twenty years ago. Older consumers have more disposable income, and a lower threshold for frustration in their free time. In other words, they'd rather play a lot of easy games than a few hard ones.

Also with online play coming into its own, games are able to ease back on the difficulty of the single player, and allow humans to challenge one another. Single player campaigns are sometimes little more than ways to practice alone or unlock new features.

Point is, I don't think it has to do with consoles targeting a younger audience. Nintendo still tends to target kids with a lot of its games, but Sony and MS target older players.

[DrSpike]

Good stuff. It's as I say, the rise of the casual gamer has knock-on effects for all gamers, alas.

[child of Thor]

So how much blame should we lay at the feet of the 'casual producer' then

[DrSpike]

Well all, and none. After all, they are following the casual gamer.

[child of Thor]

Do you know Dr.Spike, i'm starting to wonder about this. Maybe the casual gamer is purely the creation of the casual producer - we can only after all buy the games that are in the shops?

Still to put this back on-topic:

@ Harry Tuttle,

The xbox is a decent console, but if you've grown up a pc gamer, i think you will eventualy find 90% of the console titles a rather shallow experience.
My playing time is split about 50/50 with xbox and pc.

Xbox games still playing:

1. Lma manager(a soccer management game)
2. Morrowind(GOTY edition)

PC games still playing:

1. Xcom(enemy unknown/UFO defence)
2. Call To Power2(playtesting new apolyton build)
3. a mix of many titles that i just dabble with from time to time.

for me its very rare that i'll go back to an xbox game once completed, many PC games on the other hand still get a look in. Its one of the differences i've begun to see between the two platforms.
Still i enjoy my xbox and have found a couple of titles for it that have kept me going for a long time

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by child of Thor
Do you know Dr.Spike, i'm starting to wonder about this. Maybe the casual gamer is purely the creation of the casual producer - we can only after all buy the games that are in the shops?

Whilst taste formation is something that can be influenced by far the most telling link is from consumer tastes to producer choices, not the other way around.

[Harry Tuttle]

Do you guys have any recommendations for games? I was thinking of getting Xbox Live, but I'd hate to just play Halo 2 all the time.

Are there any good strategy or single player games out there, something that takes a brain?

Oh yeah, and I played Fight Club too. I beat that one on Hard in 2 hours.

[DrSpike]

What genre?

[Harry Tuttle]

Originally posted by DrSpike
What genre?

Surprise me. No Fantasy RPG's please.

[Nostromo]

Are there any good strategy or single player games out there, something that takes a brain?

There's chessmaster. I'm not joking.

[Nostromo]

There's also Splinter Cell and the Rainbow six games.

[Harry Tuttle]

Originally posted by nostromo


There's chessmaster. I'm not joking.

Something a little bit more "new" might be in order.

[Nostromo]

And I forgot Full Spectrum Warrior...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Whilst taste formation is something that can be influenced by far the most telling link is from consumer tastes to producer choices, not the other way around.

I agree with this. I think consumer choices are dictating what producers make. After all, for the most part, the 'hard' games aren't purchased in the numbers that the easy games are.


As for XBox games. Prince of Persia (the 1st one) was good. The second one may be good as well, but I haven't played it yet.

[child of Thor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Whilst taste formation is something that can be influenced by far the most telling link is from consumer tastes to producer choices, not the other way around.

I agree with this. I think consumer choices are dictating what producers make. After all, for the most part, the 'hard' games aren't purchased in the numbers that the easy games are.


As for XBox games. Prince of Persia (the 1st one) was good. The second one may be good as well, but I haven't played it yet.

Yes i think its definately true that games are a much more disposable form of entertainment than in the past, partialy by design.
I think we need a xmas campaign "Remember, a game is for life, not just for xmas", and send it around the publishing houses - but thats just my view

Harry Tuttle,

the only really strategic games i've played on xbox have been the management type simulations(things like 'Roller Coaster Tycoon' and then the few soccer management games i've mentioned before).

I dont know if your a sports fan or not, but maybe there are some management games of US sports like NFL etc?

I dont think games like Madden(by EA) are quite in that management league, but the only version i played of that game was the origonal on amiga, so it might have changed?

Then again if you have a PC you will find the versions of available strat games much better on that platform most of the time.

I guess Morrowind and KOTOR are not on your list

hmm... that leaves Sports games, beat-em-ups and FPS like Halo.
Or if your moral code is low you could try the Grand Theft Auto double pack(GTA2+Vice city)which is meant to be a great game.

It is difficult really - i have played(and bought) around +30 games for xbox in the last 2 years. I now only play two of those regularly.
I even went and got a gamecube just so i could find some games with a bit more depth/different approach(i've had to suck up my predjudice against cartoony looking games though!).

My gf has kept me off the cube as she has fallen big time for Animal Crossing. What i've seen of the games we've got for the cube, i'm happy that it will provide some things the xbox(and to a lesser extent the PS i think) just doesn't.

Still the xbox does what it does better than the other consoles.

FPS
Sports
decent graphics
and unfortunetly for you fantasy RPg's