Will Next Gen Consoles Mean The End For Simpler Games?

[DrRipley]

I think the reason that the new Final Fantasy installments haven't been doing as well was because they tried to make them more complex to somehow justify being on a more powerful machine. Back then, the turn based element of it was probably born more out of necessity and it just so happened to gain an audience, and now that a lot more things are possible, I think these big gaming companies feel compelled to complicate their games at the expense of what originally made them good. I personally would prefer that most of these games just stick to their formulas, adding and changing only minor things, but I'm not sure how long I'd keep saying that if it were the case, to be honest.

What do you think of the way gaming is heading in terms of their moving forward from innocence and simplicity? Do you feel bad about old titles dying out with the arrival of new technology, or do you just accept it as evolution and look forward to the new, presumably more complex wave of games?

 

[unwittyoneliner]

The traditional turn-based style in JRPGs is definitely waning, and has been for a while. It makes sense. I liked what Square did with FFXII, and XIII's gameplay was good, too, but it's hard to hit the sweet spot between simplicity and innovative gameplay. As far as other simpler games, stuff like Super Meat Boy, Limbo, and Journey will always be popular.

 

[Annetteb]

I'm not going to say that all games are going to be complex with the new consoles coming out, but I have noticed that games are changing more and more as the consoles get more and more advanced.

 

[themarting]

I dont think simple games will ever go away. Look at the Wii, it reinforced the fact that there are still gamers out there who dont need 40+ hours of gameplay, 30 different kinds of guns and 800 different clothing options to enjoy a video game.

I personally enjoy simple games myself. I had all the latest consoles and found myself playing emulators of NES games, how odd is that?!

 

[DrRipley]

I had all the latest consoles and found myself playing emulators of NES games, how odd is that?!

This constantly happens for me too. I think it's because I have to follow so many rules and directions in actual life that when I have to go through missions and memorize a million buttons and combinations it just turns me off. With the older games, you don't have to deal with 10 minutes of cutscenes every 5 minutes of gameplay, and you only ever need to pick it up, press a few buttons to figure it out and you're on your way. On the contrary, however, most of the older games were glitchy and almost felt like they were cheating you by making the secrets and other features unnecessarily hidden just so you would buy a magazine to figure it out. I suppose they are just different kinds of evil, but I too prefer the simpler ones most of the time.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Nah. Simplicity and sensibility is a combination that'll never go out of style. Look at the success of MineCraft. Look at how popular a few games for iPhone and Android like Temple Run are. If you can interest the people, you will get an audience. As themarting said, the Wii's success is proof of that.

 

[Dame6089]

I think virtual consoles will always keep a market for simplistic games. Cheaper prices and smaller games of course lend to simpler game mechanics. I have to agree with you on the Final Fantasy struggling because of overly complex mechanics. I haven't enjoyed a FF game very much since FFX. I miss turn based battles!

 

[mauricioq]

No, simple games will always be released if they're original, indie community is pretty strong right now, and simple games are getting good recognition as long as they are innovative and fun to play, the next generation should be no exception to this type.

 

[SS42A]

At the time of release of these simple games, people didn't seem to care that much. However, with the passage of time, the legacy of these "simple" games is preserved through the many complex games that we play on next generation consoles. Basic concepts and principles in gaming are applied to complex games, so even if the concept is original, it still traces its roots to these simple games.