This is my first take at blog banter with gamers. In case you didn’t know, blog banter is where a group of avid gamers come together and write articles on the same topic. A gaming community to share incites and just have some fun.
Introduction: Welcome, welcome to Blog Banter, the monthly blogging extravaganza headed by bs angel! Blog Banter involves our cozy community of enthusiastic gaming bloggers, a common topic, and a week to post articles pertaining to said topic. The results are quite entertaining and can range from deeply insightful to ROFLMAO. Any questions about Blog Banter should be directed here. Check out other Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!
This months topic is: If you could ask for one thing from the gaming industry this year, what would it be and why?
Since I did not happen upon the article on Hawty McBloggy’s page until two days ago and the post is due by tomorrow morning, I had to get right on it. At work today I consulted my friend JB and asked him to help me think of a good topic. We talked all morning about video games since I am hard core Xbox 360 and he only has the Nintendo Wii.
We started off with the usual- I wish the main gaming industries would work better together yadda yadda. Since we all know that there is quite a bit of competition between the three major gaming industries (Microsoft, Nintendo Wii, and PS3). It is crappy at times when you can’t play a certain game because it is only made for that console. I wish I had enough money to go out and buy all three gaming systems but I don’t and I have very serious loyalties to my Xbox. Although I have played Uncharted, which is a game made only for PS3. I really liked it and secretly wished I would have been able to get it for the xbox. No matter. The three different systems attract their own users and without the competition we might have huge amounts of turmoil. This is something that will probably never be resolved and so I can’t possibly ask for that. In a perfect world maybe? ha.
What we wanted to target was all three of the gaming systems as a whole. This is quite a vast area in my opinion and it is hard to find a topic on something for all of them. JB and I went back and forth and I asked him a few questions about the gaming industry. He does happen to be an avid gamer and he said that he would like just a little more convenience during game play. He stated that he comes back from class during the day and while he is eating a quick lunch he would love to play a few minutes of one of his favorite games but he knew that he would not have time to make it to the next checkpoint so he ends up letting his $400 system sit there and he goes on the internet and pulls up a flash game like pong. When I thought about it, I realized how many times I’ve been in a similar situation. I wasn’t aware before but I do decide if I’m going to play a game or not based on the fact that there might not be enough time to make it to the next checkpoint.
This obviously does not apply to all games such as Guitar Hero and things like that where you only play one song and then you are done. An example would be Gears of War. If you are in the middle of a battle with the Locusts and trust me if you’ve never played it, these battles get insane and lengthy depending on the degree of hardness, and you need to get out the door you can’t just stop where you are at and save the game. Normally the only time to obtain the next checkpoint is after all the Locusts have been demolished. Sometimes I’m so close to winning the battle but I just don’t have that extra few minutes to come to victory. Whether it be work or wherever I just can’t get it done before I head out. So Shitty.
If it could be done, saving the game on the spot is a must have. That way you can come back from the real world and pick up in your imaginary world exactly where you left off. Especially when you took all that time to get the guns you love and because you had to leave you come back to life the next time with the crappy ones yet again. 🙁
Another problem is if you want to go back to something that was previously played you are only able to start at the checkpoints that the game has designated. A big example of this is in Gears of War( I’m using this game for the examples because I just recently was playing it) is the part when you are at the house and you have to go to the top and man the spotlight so that Dom can make it through to the light switch to turn on the lights. This is in Act 2 when the Kryll keep attacking you. After Dom turns on the lights you must move the spot light back to an abandoned car and when you go down to the street you will be able to obtain a Cog Tag that is there. I was unaware of this the first time I played and after I had obtained 29 of 30 Cog Tags and figured out which one I was missing I tried to go back and realized that I couldn’t start at that scene. The closest I could get was at the beginning of that segment before darkness falls and the Kryll even come out. Do you know how far back this is? That’s practically at the beginning. Bugger! I don’t want to have to play that entire part again.
With a movie like option in which you can fast forward through game play to the part you want to be in would be excellent.
I feel that the gaming industry has been doing a heck of a job. They have been making games that I enjoy and am satisfied with. I love Gears of War. I just think that checkpoints should be out and immediate game play should be in. No more I have to get this far to save the game. Just simply save and pick up exactly where you left off. Same guns, same ammo. Brilliant.
Confessions of a Writer<3
OTHER LINKS:
If the Industry Gave us all presents this Christmas
Santa Don’t Bring Me Toys I Have To Share
6 Comments
I know right? I did play the half life series and I really did like that about it. Why can't you save anywhere you want on every game?!?!?!
That was one thing I loved about the Half-Life series, I would save whenever the hell I wanted. And believe me, I saved like every 2 minutes!
lol. i have the exact same complaint. save points and checkpoints are designed just to screw with the player, i'm certain of it. there's no excuse for not giving the player the opportunity to save on the spot.
i think it's an Eastern thing, the idea of the save point. i'm sure anyone who's played Resident Evil or Final Fantasy VII can vibe with this.
Checkpoints and save systems are one of my biggest pet peeves. I am not sure why all games don't utilize a save anywhere feature at this point in time. The majority of gamers are adults that have several other responsibilities and that is one thing that could make gaming so much more convenient. I'm definitely on board for your idea, that's for sure!
I hate games with checkpoints.
I love games that enable you to save all the time.
Back in the old days, I had to write down 16 letter passwords to save games.. lol.
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