can the "Mania" concept save video games ?
Posted: 26 Mar 2012, 14:33
shootmania (and the still unknown questmania) have been nadeo's best move in the VG world.
I think every game type should have its mania-like version. not necessarilly by nadeo of course. every editor should get some inspiration there.
and I'm glad the "mania" concept invades the quake-like world with what seems to have a very oldschool and nervous gameplay.
I've been surprised, in a good way, that sony are extending their LBP license to a mariokart clone. a classic gameplay combined with extended creative possibilities can only be good. (unlike LBP 1&2 which had totally crappy base gameplays).
it's especially good for the original they plagiate : it's like saying "hey, that's how your game looks like with infinite creative possibilities". let's then hope the original's author takes it as a lesson and the creativity virus spreads.
(although if sony fails the gameplay part just like in LBP 1&2, everyone will laugh at them).
TM and LBP, despite being totally different on many levels, are IMO in the same familly : games with huge creative potential, with relatively easy to use editors (unlike oldschool quake-likes which require too much skills to design maps, especially nowadays with the detail level it requires to make a good map), all this for no extra charge than buying the game (although sony sells skins for characters, which makes them less cool)
(note that I only like LBP's concept. the game actually sucks IMO, I bought it but I never play it)
the perfect counter-exemple :
activision are going to release a remake of THPS.
first that's an evident sign of lack of idea, and lack of b*lls (recycling = zéro-risk policy) and laziness.
even if it has not been announced, the goal is clearly to release plenty of DLCs (maps, characters, boards, tricks, cloths...). on consoles only (no risk of hacking to add some features to the game). worse : they do this when the current generation of consoles is at its end, which means people will have to pay again for all of this on the next gen.
if they once and for all released a THPS-mania (sorry for the totally blasphemous name association) with some real creation possibilities, it would instantly become a legendary game.
btw if nadeo lacks of idea, which I doubt, extreme sports would be a cool VG type to "-mania"ify (trickmania ???)
I think every game type should have its mania-like version. not necessarilly by nadeo of course. every editor should get some inspiration there.
and I'm glad the "mania" concept invades the quake-like world with what seems to have a very oldschool and nervous gameplay.
I've been surprised, in a good way, that sony are extending their LBP license to a mariokart clone. a classic gameplay combined with extended creative possibilities can only be good. (unlike LBP 1&2 which had totally crappy base gameplays).
it's especially good for the original they plagiate : it's like saying "hey, that's how your game looks like with infinite creative possibilities". let's then hope the original's author takes it as a lesson and the creativity virus spreads.
(although if sony fails the gameplay part just like in LBP 1&2, everyone will laugh at them).
TM and LBP, despite being totally different on many levels, are IMO in the same familly : games with huge creative potential, with relatively easy to use editors (unlike oldschool quake-likes which require too much skills to design maps, especially nowadays with the detail level it requires to make a good map), all this for no extra charge than buying the game (although sony sells skins for characters, which makes them less cool)
(note that I only like LBP's concept. the game actually sucks IMO, I bought it but I never play it)
the perfect counter-exemple :
activision are going to release a remake of THPS.
first that's an evident sign of lack of idea, and lack of b*lls (recycling = zéro-risk policy) and laziness.
even if it has not been announced, the goal is clearly to release plenty of DLCs (maps, characters, boards, tricks, cloths...). on consoles only (no risk of hacking to add some features to the game). worse : they do this when the current generation of consoles is at its end, which means people will have to pay again for all of this on the next gen.
if they once and for all released a THPS-mania (sorry for the totally blasphemous name association) with some real creation possibilities, it would instantly become a legendary game.
btw if nadeo lacks of idea, which I doubt, extreme sports would be a cool VG type to "-mania"ify (trickmania ???)
