With the recent release of "Rise of the Tomb Raider" Lara Croft is once again thrust into the spotlight. Explore the history of the Tomb Raider series. Highlight the highs and the lows of the series, and how the series changed gaming. There should also be an exploration of how the Tomb Raider herself changed the face of gaming and became a new gaming icon.
I very much agree with this. Maybe it's just my opinion but I'd like to see the older storylines adapted into the more recent developmental models and gameplay. – TheBrunette777 years ago
Years ago, gaming was considered a much smaller, niche hobby, mostly for introverts and "nerds." Now, the gaming industry is on a rise, both financially and socially. Analyze the factors influencing why video games have become part of the "mainstream." How do different video game styles (i.e. MMOs, point-and-click, etc.) help catapult the gaming industry into the mainstream? How do they encompass diverse social groups and bring them into the industry? Does the movie-like quality of games nowadays play a part in the mainstream, too?
gaming is life at times of depresion – GanjaKing04209 years ago
Very interesting topic!!! I think that one of the reasons games are more mainstream is because of the sheer multitude of diversity in gaming now. Back in the day you had fewer companies and fewer programmers and fewer games. Now we can make specific games that appeal to specific people which entices more and more people to play. I think you have to at least mention *shudder* facebook games. These low commitment games give the opportunity for normally not interested people to pick up a game. It doesn't take much time, thought, etc. If you leave it for a week, you aren't tragically behind everyone else. And as for the movie-like quality. Hands down agree. I had my mother walk in on me playing a game during a cutscene and she actually stopped to watch thinking it was a show haha. Not that she'll ever pick up a controller, but at the very least it intrigued someone who usually wouldn't bat an eye. – Tatijana9 years ago
My family cannot play Monopoly. It is not a fun game during which we can laugh and enjoy quality time together. Instead we become cruel, building hotels as quickly as possible and holding vendettas against each other when someone won't trade/sell a property with us. The desire to win with the most amount of money takes over and we forget about familial loyalty… and the fact that it is just a game. But is it? Is this a common theme that as soon as someone gets their first property, their first monopoly, builds their first house then hotel, they become more and more like the ruthless investors on Wall Street? Is this healthy or should Monopoly be removed from the shelves of toy stores and relocated to board rooms where said investment bankers can practice their strategies and the rest of society can be safe?
While on the one hand, you're not entirely wrong, on the other hand, neither my family or any other I've witnessed playing the game has ever metamorphosed into cruel and greedy people, treating each other in a way they would otherwise not. The way you describe it, your family completely changed personalities once exposed to a game about making the most money: it changed who they were. But is that really how it happens at your house, or are you just exaggerating this account in order to play up the topic for others to write about? Cause this seems a tad extreme and sensationalized if you ask me. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
I have experienced this game as both fun and ruthless. I guess the more important thing is, does your family go back to being fun loving when it's over? Or do they continue to hold grudges after the game is put away? If no grudge is held, I think it might even be beneficial to get out some family angst in a harmless game than in full blown arguments. – Tatijana9 years ago
Exactly, Tatijana. If Monopoly does not pit people against each other after the fact, then it could serve a great benefit as a cathartic tool, just like how platformer and adventure video-games help me to relax after a stressful day. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
This could be a worthwhile topic although it might be worth looking at other board games as well. – Jordan9 years ago
I agree with Jordan, a few other board games can cause equal amounts of stress and anger and they all might do so for the same reason. – Austin Bender9 years ago
I've learned that when games become like that it is time to take out a game everyone can enjoy. Take into consideration how personality clashes with an enjoyable evening. I have been accused of cheating at Pictionary because I draw well. Those people never will play it (one of my favorite games) with me again ;(.Ah well. It doesn't mean artists should be banned from playing. But, to avoid resentment, you just have to find a game that everyone likes. No need for stress. The game "Gloom," I recall, was created for the very purpose of making good things happen. – Candice Evenson9 years ago
I am no sports expert, but it seems to me that esports suffer a greater frequency of cross-continental player transfers than "real" sports. It could make an interesting article to examine why this happens, is it just because there are less restrictions? Unable to speak for other esports like StarCraft etc., it's apparent in League of Legends that a great deal of players on NA teams did not originate in North America and transferred over from a European or Korean (etc.) team. Last season I believe is was OMG, a Chinese team, that transferred over to NA entirely and played for a split before returning back. How are teams' regional identities so flexible? Also seen often is a player from another region which transfers to NA but is unable to play due to "credit card complications." Why does this happen so often, and ultimately is it worth the risk? I've seen far too many times during LCS that teams lose because they don't get enough practice with their core lineup because of complications and an inability to play since there was a transfer issue. Examine this issue and assess the pros and cons of cross regional player transfers.
I have no idea what Esports are - is it just the name for a certain type of game? This is an interesting topic and has a lot of potential given it is fleshed out enough. – Jordan9 years ago
I'd be less interested in the "pros and cons" article, and more interested in a "what does this mean for e-sports and the post-internet world as a whole" article, but I like the topic. – Christopher Vance9 years ago
The game Undertale is quickly rising in popularity in the gaming community. It's been promoted by many well known youtube game play content creators such as Sky William, Videogamedunkey and GameGrumps. It has been acclaimed as hilarious, cute, emotionally moving and beautifully designed. How does Undertale stack up to previous 2-D "RPG"s? What is it that truly sets it apart as unique? Perhaps the buzz around it's release isn't because it's the best of it's genre, but that Undertale just breaks the mold of other video games currently being released? Does Undertale deserve it's reputation?
If you are a human being with a soul, and you regularly succumb to "the feel?" Then yes, it does deserve it's reputation. Simply put, "Undertale" intentionally appeals to both men and women of any number of gender and sexual orientations, due to its gender neutral main character, and the numerous relationships that blossom before your eyes as you go through the game: more than half of which are what we would consider homosexual in nature. It's a game that includes tropes and gags reminiscent of anime and manga: jokes that only a youth culture now familiar with Japanese humor could appreciate. Along with that, it is a virtual meme production machine, allowing any number of people to take numerous memorable screen shots and make up their own gags from them, not to mention an overabundance of fan-art. Basically, it's popularity on Tumblr is likely by no accident, as it is a game almost perfectly designed to cater to that crowd, and their sensibilities. I can't speak exactly for how it differs or improves on ideas and mechanics used in other similar 2D RPGs. But I don't think it's popularity really has anything to do with its game play, other than the fact that you are encouraged to be a pacifist rather than fight and kill all of your "enemy encounters." It's likely so popular because it appeals to an audience that loves everything this game has to offer as far as its characters, its story, and its romantic situations are concerned. No other game has achieved what this game has in those specific areas, and no other game that I know of has included more gay relationships than it has straight, because at this time, only an independent game by an independent developer is comfortable and courageous enough to design their game that way. For me personally, I love this game, not for the gameplay, but for the story. If I could have just read a comic book about it, or watched an animated video about it all, I may have preferred that. But, putting this all into a game makes the experience perhaps more rewarding, because you required to beat the difficult parts of the game in order to see how this incredibly well-conceived story continues, and how all your new monster buddies turn out in the end. Sure you can watch the cut-scenes on youtube these days. If you want the most out of it, though, then you'll play the game entirely by yourself, and experience it as it was intended. So yes, it deserves every accolade that it gets, because there's nothing else like it, and there might not be another for a little while still. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
With all that I previously said, what I really meant to respond with was: No, it is by all means "not" overrated. If anything, it is still rather underrated by the rest of the gaming community who has yet to play it, and truly understand how enjoyable it is. Because I imagine there are still some reluctant people who have yet to try it themselves, and who may be convinced that what they see filling their Tumblr feeds is more annoying than enticing. lol – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
Lol I am glad you are so motivated to express yourself about Undertale, and so strongly. I haven't played it personally, just watched commentaries and gameplay videos. It looks really interesting but I found it surprising no one has anything negative to say. I hope someone like you takes this topic and writes something really moving about Undertale with it! – Slaidey9 years ago
This could take a lot of research into demographics and the liking. I very much consider myself a gamer and an avid fan of YouTube, yet I've never heard of this game. Mind you, I rarely mix the two. I don't watch Let's Plays and such. – Austin Bender9 years ago
I think one of the more interesting aspects of Undertale is that it knows it's a game. During replays, or if you go back to another save to make a different choice, certain characters know what you did and will comment on it. That fact it's programmed to be self-aware is an interesting thing to bring to the gaming industry. – tateltael9 years ago
I think it's very important to know that the sort of moral choice present in Undertale has been done before and I would argue better executed in Indie Games like Iji. I think part of the reason Undertale has become such a runnaway success is partly due to changing winds in interests on Tumblr, and partly due to Toby Fox's placement in Homestuck fandom. Which isn't to say that the game isn't good, but its meteoric rise in popularity is not indicative of its quality. Similarly many members Undertale's have not actually played the game and only know it from lets plays. – MattHotaling9 years ago
Both games incorporate a triple-tiered karma mechanic. What is effective about the approach taken by Undertale, the up-and-coming indie game, and what is effective about the approach taken by Mass Effect, the mega-million dollar franchise? Dozens of other games have written this feature in the past. What prospects does the karma meter have in the future of adventure gaming?
Mass Effect is one of the best RPG games there is and i dont know if any game can compare to it – aasteriou9 years ago
Definitely an interesting topic to think about. Though, the similarities between the karma meters are very slim, especially in the way they're incorporated into the gameplay. – rhainley9 years ago
I'm sure that you've all heard it before: "Pokemon? That's a child's game. Call of Duty/Battlefield are adult games!" While I do believe that Pokemon games have started out to be just a game for only a child audience, I can't help but feel that the games have taken a complete shift in audience growth. You will notice many older audiences playing Pokemon and not just playing it but knowing the more complexities of the mechanics within the games that children have no idea nor any concept of. For example, IV's and EV's were something that pretty much were non-existent in the minds of players when Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green Versions were released (as well as Yellow). These new mechanics in the games revolutionized the way players interacted with each other to a whole new level of complexity. Before it used to be "Trade me your level 100 Mewtwo for my level 50 Mew." But nowadays we have players talking like this: "I'll trade you my Shiny Bulbasaur with it's hidden ability for your Ditto with maxed IV's and EV's!" Not only that but with the addition of new battle methods such as double, triple, rotation and even inverse battles the inclusion of these stats affecting IV's and Ev's have driven players to catch multiple of the same Pokemon just to get even one that has at the very least one or two IV/EV's maxed out. Those are the Pokemon that have the best chances of becoming either a wall or sweeper in online battles. So, are these games more children friendly still? Or is Nintendo secretly turning their consumers into full blown tacticians and strategists?
I feel that pokemon can appeal to different audiences, which is why it's a popular franchise. You can either enjoy it casually or seriously, so there's no right or wrong way to play it. I know Fire Emblem is also a strategy game, but compared to Pokemon, there is no pressure to EV train if you don't want to. It really depends how seriously the player wants improve their team. – YsabelGo9 years ago
Video games are an advancing form of media that can bring certain topics to light, like the radio and TV are used to promote through advertising. As climate change is becoming a worldwide issue, some developers have used environment issues as a subject matter for games. Climate Game Jams (48-hour game-building marathons focused on climate change) have also been promoted by the White House to increase awareness of environmental change. Are video games an effective tool for discussing climate change? The writer perhaps might discuss some of the games that have been built around environmental awareness.
Video games are absolutely effective tools for discussing any social change, environmental being an example. Games are designed for users to solve challenges through a myriad of different ways. Why not address solving a global crisis by...solving a global crisis? – loridonnellynj9 years ago
Not just environmental awareness in it's natural state (global warming) but a lot of dystopic games bring light to the human effects on the environment through our most destructive practices. Just look at the Fallout games! Not only is the environment molded by nuclear bombs from the past they also make players live through it's lasting affects by having to constantly deal with radiation as a hazard to their character's health. It's taught us "first hand" the life pursuing nuclear weapons will bring and warn us against it, showing us the importance of taking care of the environment in a game where you literally can't eat anything without accumulating radiation poisoning. – Slaidey9 years ago
Video games can indeed be an effective tool to communicate the problem of climate change. In fact, I participated in that game jam in which my team came up with a simulator that involved resource management and caring for the land that you harvest from. However, the biggest challenge for us was choosing a particular aspect of climate change and adding playable game elements to make the game fun and understanding. All in all, you can come up with a million good ideas for a game that deals with climate change, but only a handful of them can get made if you can get down to the difficult, technical detail to make the game actually playable so that its message is effectively communicated to the players without being in-your-face about it. – LeighCSquared9 years ago
