I can say this. The trouble with targeting style games is that that's our interface. What I mean is this. Sighted folk use their eyes to get a feel for what's happening around them. Blind people with decent hearing use their ears. That is intuitive, and I only point it out because it's important.
Yes, our games feature stereo targeting as a way to get to enemies, jump on ledges, etc. However, that's because the ears are our targeters. If I can be frank, one of the reasons that space invaders clones don't excite me is that they're clones. What I mean by that is the content of a game. Story line, plot, even different objectives are what set games apart. How many different games are there out there in the mainstream community where one person shoots at another. The difference, usually, in all of these, is plot, sounds, graphics, etc. Well, aren't we lucky, because we don't have to worry about graphics. What's the difference between Mortal Kombat, Tekken, and Street Fighter? Ok, yes, there're some few control changes, a few different combos, but largely they're all three fighting games, usually even with fairly congruent characters: the fast one, the strong one, the mystical one, the cute girl, the ... uh ... well, the girl who is a defined attempt at fan service. My point with that example is that these three franchises are rediculously successful. It's not because of different control methods. It's not even because of fan or brand loyalty. It's because of a little bit of difference in sound, graphics, and story line. The simple truth is that, back when gaming on electronic devices was new, you didn't need plot or story of really any kind. But now, having seen some of the classes that simulation and gaming majors have to take, gaming is just as much about story telling as physics and programming. That's something that I'm glad to see more developers starting to play with. Now, I'm not targeting swamp, or really any of the Aprone games on any lack of story. Far from it. Even if the story doesn't last for chapter upon chapter, the games still rock based on points of interest, the content element. In Castaways, you unlock jobs and goals. In Swamp, you get weapons. All I'm saying is that the reason, I think, that space invaders clones are unsuccessful is that the story's been told. There's either no story at all, or the story sucks. Turn space invaders into an anti-aircraft game during World War II or Vietnam War and you have a game that people would at least gasp about for a few hours, rather than groan about and forget after a few seconds. My trouble is that I know how hard it is to develop a game. I do a bit of that, unfortunately not on the computer, as my abortive attempts at programming are thwarted by my abortive attempts at learning how to program. But I know it's a hard balance to maintain. Tremendous congratulations for all developers out there, but keep in mind your story, and you'll get a far bigger heap of congratulations from a far greater audience. Signed: Dakotah Rickard On 11/17/11, Mich <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi just throwing in my 2 sence worth on this. as a blind gamer who first > started out with shades of doom and then moved on to alien out back, monkey > business, and judgment day etc. I to have seen the trend of audio gamers > and games to keep playing games like space invaders types of games. there > seems to me for sure a few different types of games for the audio game > community fps, card games or puzzle games or space invaders games. I to > would like to see a very complex game as well. When I was a kid and had some > sight I used to play super Mario 1 and 3 with my sister. I also used to > play tmnt as well on the original Nintendo system. I also was quite good at > duck hunt and clay shooting and this was the case even after I lost my sight > at 6. I also can remember playing the game Eamin for the old apple 2e pc. > now that is a game I would like to see be able to be played as a audio game. > or even the super mario games. well these are my thoughts on this topic. > from Mich. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "dark" <[email protected]> > To: "Gamers Discussion list" <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2011 1:35 PM > Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Game concepts BGT Version 1.1 Released! > > >> Hi jeremy. >> >> I think possibly you were comparing audio games slightly too much to indi >> graphical games, where there are always many developers of various skill >> levels who influence each other. With audio games that is simply not the >> case. >> >> While I do believe that back around the year 2000 after the release of >> troopanum there was something of a trend with arcade games, this had >> pretty much died out by the time I started playing audio games myself, >> indeed when liam announced judgement day in 2006, most people's reaction >> was "another space invaders game? oh noo!" >> >> As it turned out he was able to do something pretty amazing with >> unlockables and extras, but stil even at that stage people wanted >> something with a litle more complexity, however the more complex the game >> the fewer people have the skills to do it, so we've seen few examples. >> >> For instance, swamp is actually the first first person shooter game in 5 >> years sinse technoshock was developed, and there are only two other audio >> games that could legitimately be called fp shooters, have weapons, >> detailed combat etc, ---- shades of doom and technoshock (possibly gma >> tank commander if you just go on perspective and weapon mechanics and >> ignore the fact your driving a tank). >> >> Even if we drop the shooter aspect and just talk about fully first person >> games, we stil have only two more examples, Sarah and terraformers. >> >> So, as I said I'd love to see a fully realized project, either that or >> someone showing how to do things like first person in bgt, so that >> everyone learning with bgt can try something different. >> >> Ultimately this all comes back to the old one I've mentioned before, >> judgement over reactivity. >> >> I'd say it's not any one style or genre audio games need to move away from >> >> specifically, it's the mindset of here it, react. >> >> Even Moriginal super Mario brothers is a complex game, sinse the speed at >> which mario moves, the hight at which he jumps relative to holding the >> button, his stopping distance and his speed relative to enemies are all >> calculated to require the player to learn, practice and employ spacial >> awareness in calculating the game objects. >> >> Thus the player not only gets used to what threats are coming up, but also >> >> how to best control marrio in the game, what sort of distance to leave >> etc. >> >> This aspect, this judgement and immertion in game mechanics rather than >> working basically on fast instant reactions which can be quickly learnt is >> >> imho the thing game develoeprs need to think about most in audio. >> >> I know for a fact if I play superliam, despite not playing for a long >> time, I can do just as well as before. here enemy, shoot enemy! here pit, >> hit up arrow and hammer right to jump. If however I stick on marrio, odds >> are it'd take me a good few lives, just reminding myself of the mechanics! >> >> This isn't a bad thing in some games, indeed rythm action games make a >> hole genre out of it, however in audio games we've seen it waaaaaay! too >> much. >> >> This is also obviously something which all your games thus far had very >> much Aprone, and all the more reason I'd like to see you work on a really >> major project, sinse I think like Entombed it could be a real landmark and >> >> occupy people for years to come! >> >> Beware the grue! >> >> Dark. >> >> --- >> Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] >> If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to >> [email protected]. >> You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at >> http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. >> All messages are archived and can be searched and read at >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. >> If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the >> list, >> please send E-mail to [email protected]. >> > > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > [email protected]. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to [email protected]. > --- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [email protected]. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [email protected].
