Can Games Become "dated?"

[JuicieJ]

I believe there are some games that were simply great for their time. Sonic Adventure is a perfect example, as was shown in the post. I remember getting it a few years back and thinking "This is a DX?" It took me a little while to realize that it was great upon release, but it's a game that was only great for the time it was made in. This is rarely the case in gaming, but it happens to some games. And, of course, almost all games would get a lower rating in the future, as gaming standards are higher, but some games (namely Zelda's) barely dwindle by today's standards. The original two would be a minor acception, but even then, they're still very enjoyable today. Again, most games don't go from great to horrendous, but I do believe almost all games "age" to a degree.

 

[DuckNoises]

I absolutely believe that games can become "dated". Why? It's rather simple: a game developer's goal is to improve video games and strive for something greater. Video games today improve on nearly everything from past games. Video games from the past are given lower scores because they just can't stack up to games of the present. Graphics are improved, gameplay is improved, music is improved, etc. We all need to face it - video games were meant to improve over time (though this may not always be so).

Is this a truly fair assessment? Although gameplay mechanics have certainly been built upon, have there been any great innovations in gameplay that we have not seen before? Innovation in gameplay is one of the more powerful, long-lasting elements of a game that stands the test of time. Graphics and music are much more superficial elements to the game; those are elements that we understand are always being improved upon, and therefore older games should not be judged with contempt for not being modern. Don't get me wrong, sound and graphics are certainly compelling parts of a video game, but in the grand scheme of what makes a great video game, graphics and sound are usually only buffers to other elements like story and gameplay. When I look at an old game versus a new game, I think to myself, "Is this really a new concept? Is this something that hasn't been done before? Is this something that has been done better somewhere else?" In many cases, the answer is yes; sometimes it is no, and that is the sign of a great example of innovation. Many a time, though, have I seen myself thinking back to an older game when I play a newer one, comparing and contrasting the growth of the gaming industry and how this game or that game stands to the curve and the trends in the industry.

Through looking at games retrospectively, I have never found any single game to be dated. I can enjoy any old game almost just as if I had been playing it the day it came out. I'm not sure if everyone sees older games the way I do, but it is certainly an invaluable skill that allows people to truly judge both old and new games on a fair basis. There is a danger of "nostalgia goggles," but most of the time I find that that term is used as a cop-out argument to defend against those who have a different viewpoint and, oftentimes, more experience as a gamer. Players can be nostalgic, but they are nostalgic for good reason. That nostalgia exists because it reflects a positive past experience. Were that experience not so remarkable, we would not feel nostalgic for it. We can't have loved a game without merit, so I find the "nostalgia goggles" argument to have little weight.

 

[ZoraDeadpool]

well let's ask ourselves this, what makes a game out dated? lack of good graphics? the controller? (i have seriously heard complaints regarding classic controllers) or just the fact that it's just "old"? a game is a game, you play it to have fun, would it really matter how long it's been? think about how many people in the world still play old board games like Life and Monapoly, why do they choose to play them? because they're fun to play, video games are the same in terms of entertainment value, i mean a lot of us still come back to games like Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Country, and you know what i can tell youu right now people who have the 3DS version of OOT will come back to the N64 version at some point, and i know this because this isn't the first game that has done this, the classic NES game Castlevania, the first one was a great game that many people loved, years later Konami made a remake of the 8-bit game on the Playstation where it was the same game but with a graphical upgrade, while it was successsful many of the same people who played and enjoyed the game find themselves coming back to the original 8-bit version why? because the game is still fun to play, that's the key phrase here "fun to play"

now in the case of 3D games it's the same way, i mean i'm sure many of you here on Zelda Dungeon would be more than happy to come back to your favorite N64 games in one way or another, and those of you who own the 3DS version of OOT will come back to the N64 version at some point because a graphical upgrade means nothing, you played the original for the gameplay you didn't care if the game looked a little off you didn't care if most of the characters had to have their fingers textured in order to show that they had fingers when they had no seperating movements, you didn't care if Link's eyes looked like they were a part of his skin you just cared that you were having fun, the classics will live on forever nothing will ever be dated, even Capcom had the guts to make Megaman 9 and 10 8-bit in modern times

 

[Squirrel]

Every game has an expiration date: when people stop playing it; or when it breaks. Anyway, people want new stuff. They keep creating new types of games to make people satisfied. If a game isn't completely lost, but most people have forgotten about it, it's a new game to them and people might play the old game in which case it can't become "dated". If people get bored with the new games they look to the old ones. The thing is, games do become dated because Nintendo keeps throwing new stuff at you nonstop. If Nintendo just stopped making new games for just a bit, people might start playing the really old games a lot more.