WorKid wrote:

Good games are good games. When I think of how much enjoyment I got out of the 16-bit era, or Amiga software, it should be clear power isn't required to deliver a good experience. FTL (say) probably could have come out at any point in the last 15 years without looking or playing any differently. But I presume the tools which enable it to be built - and more importantly, distributed effectively - are newer constructs.

The tools are new, but it used to be the case where games were smaller and more easily distributed via code included in magazine printouts, or cover tapes. Then sometime after the mid-80s/early 90s (shareware excluded) this trend died. 

We're now seeing the death of the AAA publisher space which led to the semi-abandonment of smaller creativity. The AAAs killed the mid-tier of the market quite efficiently over the past several years (witness the difference in diversity between say, the PS2 library and the 360 library - the latter is a creative wasteland with a handful of oases). But now the low-end of the market is flourishing and has content available on systems people keep in their pockets.

As for graphics - graphics only mattered to the AAA blockbuster end of the market which was headstrong in asserting it was "BIGGER THAN HOLLYWOOD!!!11!1!". Comparisons with Hollywood centred on the visual aspects and the hollow but superficially epic narratives. Whoo.

Also I don't really think the blockbuster Hollywood vs. not so analogy really stands, because even when you're shooting humans on a lower budget you're still shooting humans.

It doesn't match the AAA vain desperation for videorealism vs. boutique 8-to-32bit 2Disms at all imo.

Brooks wrote:

Also I don't really think the blockbuster Hollywood vs. not so analogy really stands, because even when you're shooting humans on a lower budget you're still shooting humans. It doesn't match the AAA vain desperation for videorealism vs. boutique 8-to-32bit 2Disms at all imo.

That's quite the tautology; of course a shooter is a shooter regardless of provenance. 

What I am arguing is that there is more diversity of genres amongst the indie (and B-tier) market. The AAA end is mostly FPS games, WRPGs, and FPS games with WRPG elements.

I meant shooting as in filmshoot, not gunshoot. We don't really have a small-studio equiv of even a Vine clip, let's be honest.

The only AAA games I can really think of in recent years with something like a mature sensibility are probably Dog Days and Last of Us (maybe RDR too), insofar as there was a basic crossover between relatively high budget and a degree of care for coherent and affecting emotional realism. Neither were perfect but at least an attempt was being made.

Radamel Falcao in a Man United shirt. 'The greatest chance taker in world football' and Youtube master killer has looked like a wee bit of a clogger.  He's not been awful - at times he's looked good - but my disappointment at his adequate contribution fits the bill for the thread.

My god that's some repulsive presentation. The game seems like a capricious chore too, good luck.

Champ Manager on vita gets my vote, was so hyped but it pretty much unplayable.

the onscreen controls are tiny and therefore impossible to select plus the loading / processing times were horrific