Feature: Seven Gaming Genres New-Gen Has Changed Subscribe to this RSS feed
Four more genres affected by the new gen.
First-Person
Historically Speaking...
Forms of first-person titles can be found as long ago as the late 1970's. However, the form many of these initial titles took then was a basic mad-dash though a graphically simple maze. That's not to say that there weren't any first-person titles that allowed the player to point a gun at something and shoot it, but as my mother would argue videogames back then didn't need graphic death and violence to appeal to the masses. Slowly, as technology improved so did each ensuing system's titles, eventually culminating with the landmark title, "Doom". With "Doom's" immersive 3D graphics and impressive explicit violence, Doom helped catapult the first-person shooter into the mainstream. And since this is a genre whose quality is closely related to the power of the system it's played on, for its fans, its future seemed very encouraging.
Historical Genre Grade: B
Contemporarily Speaking...
One could argue that among hardcore gamers, the first-person genre is the most popular genre today, especially on the PC where online competition is extremely popular. And with consoles making huge leaps forward with their online play, the popularity of the First-Person genre seems poised to capture the minds of even the most tepid gamer. The genre can also boast having one of the most financially successful franchises to date, in Halo, whose third release pulled in over $300 million in its first week on the market. For console gamers, first-person games greatly benefited from the inception of the analog-based controller, which made movement and accuracy easier and more closely mimicked what a mouse could do on a PC. Ultimately though, if the first-person genre ever wants to reach as large a demographic as puzzle games, something will need to be done to make these games easier for a casual gamer to just pick up and play.
Contemporary Genre Grade: A
The Light-Gun Shooter
Historically Speaking...
The light-gun shooter is another genre that has been around since the inception of home console gaming, but only gained significant acknowledgment with the release of Nintendo's now historic NES Zapper, which came with a game that allowed you and a malevolent canine to slaughter hundreds of helpless waterfowl. Subsequent systems have all released a variety of Light Gun games, which range from shooting Prohibition era gangsters in the Sega Master System's Gangster Town, to Para-Gombas on the SNES's Yoshi's Safari. However, usually the number of light-gun games released for each generation's system could typically be counted on one hand. Unfortunately the health of this already sparingly used genre seemed to take a big hit with the slow transition to LCD and Plasma TVs, since neither variety of TV was compatible with those often pastel-colored light-guns. This technological complication added a serious question mark for the future of this once semi-appreciated genre, especially with the arrival of the newest generation of consoles.
Historical Genre Grade: C-
Contemporarily Speaking...
Help for this struggling genre arrived from a very unexpected source, and has many of the 18 light-gun fans pointing to the heavens and professing witness to a miracle. However, pointing toward Nintendo's videogame headquarters would seem to be the more accurate gesture since Nintendo is responsible for the release of the Wii, a system that utilizes a unique control scheme that seems perfectly suited for the aiming/pointing and then clicking command method utilized by light guns. With the Wii, a large number (which is about 5 in light gun terms) of games are planned that seem to be the spiritual successors to this time-tested genre. And with the release of one successful title already ("Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles"), the Wii may allow this genre to continue to release more mildly entertaining, redundant games.
Contemporary Genre Grade: C
The Puzzle Game
Historically Speaking...
The puzzle game is a genre that's as old as video games themselves, and like most early video games, its beginnings are incredibly modest. Early genre examples range from a heated contest of wall avoidance in the arcade smash Blockade, to common games that have in no way benefited from an electronic upgrade such as Hangman. However, the title that really put the puzzle game genre on the map was 1985's Russian brainchild: Tetris. Some have called this title the most popular videogame ever made, and really achieves what every puzzle game aspires to accomplish. That is, addictive gameplay which is very challenging and at the same time very fun. After the release of Tetris, the rate at which puzzle games were released dramatically increased, and the puzzle game really took hold as a mainstream genre.
Historic Genre Grade: B
Contemporarily Speaking...
The puzzle Game is a genre that the casual gamer has fully embraced, aided by the accessibility of online pc puzzlers such as "Mine Sweeper" and a variety of card games, as well as more traditional online puzzle games like "Bejeweled" and "Zuma". Since these simple and addictive titles are so easy to come by they've been discovered by a relatively new gaming demographic, some of which include, the ladies, the elderly, and the elderly ladies. And perhaps, the popularity of this genre could even be a catalyst for this new gaming demographic to someday look at other traditional gaming genres for their gaming fix The online arcades of the next-gen systems also offer a plethora of quick and captivating puzzle titles that further promote the genre by again improving their accessibility. And since this genre's gameplay can be described as straightforward and easy-to-pick-up, the budget price offered through the next-gen's arcades seems a more logical fit. This could in fact now be the most popular video game genre.
Contemporary Genre Grade: A+
Survival Horror
Historically Speaking...
The survival horror genre is a relatively new type of game. It all started with games like Sweet Home for NES and then Alone In the Dark on Playstation. However, it wasn't until Resident Evil came along that survival horror became a truly distinct genre. Survival Horror games took horror movies to a whole new level. Instead of watching suspenseful scenes, you were actually taking part in them. Part of the horror in Resident Evil was the constant lack of ammunition combined with not knowing when or from where enemies will emerge - or burst, as they often did. After Resident Evil 2 was released Survival Horror was well on its way to being one of the most popular genres of video game. Games like Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2 pushed the envelope with even creepier visual effects.
Historical Genre Grade: B+
Contemporarily Speaking...
The survival horror genre enjoyed massive success but was always inherently limited by its inaccessible controls and themes. That is, until Resident Evil 4 showed up. Resident Evil 4 introduced a control scheme that was not only functional but extremely smooth and addicting. At the same time RE4 stayed true to its roots and became the seminal Survival Horror title of the generation. After Resident Evil 4, Survival Horror became less of a genre and more of an ideal. The balance of impeccable control and awe-inspiring style became the industry standard as developers pursued the overall perfect presentation RE4 achieved. Elements of the survival horror genre then bled into other genres. Bioshock is the epitome of current gen Survival Horror. It effectively blends pristine first-person shooting with the look and feel of survival horror. Resident Evil 5 will be the true measure of the survival horror genre's ability to transcend console generations, but, until RE5 drops, expect to enjoy survival horror themes in many more games and in many more genres.
