OmegaFenix22
Well-Known Member
There is an interesting piece on Gamasutra.com regarding the now infamous Six Days in Fallujah game being developed by Atomic Games that was recently dropped by Publisher Konami due to the increasing controversy regarding game. (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23451) Now the actual article isn't that interesting the comments made by members of the Gamasutra community is. This got me thinking about games that try and be more, game that want to tell a story like that of Six Days in Fallujah with centres around the 2nd battle of Fallujah from the perspective of the marine's who fought there. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Days_in_Fallujah)
Now dev Atomic games are boasting very (if not completely) destructive environments, cover mechanics, a regenerative health system and an innovative AI system that will use unconventional tactics. They also want to bring the "true horrors of war" into the main stream and i suppose that is why the game fall not into the 3rd person action genre but is listed as a survival horror. Reading through the comments on Gamasutra you will see than some feel a game can never accomplish the same critical acclaim that film or books on this subject does due to the fact that it can't be realistic enough or face losing its FunFactor and as such its audience which, after all, buy the game to be entertained.
This has made me wonder how far are we as mature gamers, I'm talking about those of us who are over 18 or 21 (Depends on your definition of mature) as such a game would definitely carry an 18 rating and would not be suitable for younger gamers, willing to let realism influence the FunFactor of the games we play before arguing insane diffuclty, cheating AI or any of those complaints that are thrown around when a game that pushes realism stops being fun. Game like the original Operation Flashpoint and the upcoming Operation Flashpoint 2 which push realism in military simulators as far as current tech would allow. Yes it might not be overly bloody or feature gibs so its not 100% real but im sure many of you will agree that it does come close. While i am not going to argue to greatness of OFP i am quiet sure that though it [OFP] has its fans it doesn't enjoy same critical public acclaim of war games such as COD 4 which focused more on FunFactor and story than critical realism. If a developer made a game that combined OFP's realism and COD 4's story and the way it pulled the player in emotionally would the end product be well received by the gaming public? Alternatively could a game that gave up the critical realism and like COD 4 focused more on Story and wide spread Playability as well as emotionally drawing the player in, could a game like that (Maybe Six Days in Fallujah) deliver a experience the could enlighten its players about the horrors of the war in Iraq if not war in general?
Now dev Atomic games are boasting very (if not completely) destructive environments, cover mechanics, a regenerative health system and an innovative AI system that will use unconventional tactics. They also want to bring the "true horrors of war" into the main stream and i suppose that is why the game fall not into the 3rd person action genre but is listed as a survival horror. Reading through the comments on Gamasutra you will see than some feel a game can never accomplish the same critical acclaim that film or books on this subject does due to the fact that it can't be realistic enough or face losing its FunFactor and as such its audience which, after all, buy the game to be entertained.
This has made me wonder how far are we as mature gamers, I'm talking about those of us who are over 18 or 21 (Depends on your definition of mature) as such a game would definitely carry an 18 rating and would not be suitable for younger gamers, willing to let realism influence the FunFactor of the games we play before arguing insane diffuclty, cheating AI or any of those complaints that are thrown around when a game that pushes realism stops being fun. Game like the original Operation Flashpoint and the upcoming Operation Flashpoint 2 which push realism in military simulators as far as current tech would allow. Yes it might not be overly bloody or feature gibs so its not 100% real but im sure many of you will agree that it does come close. While i am not going to argue to greatness of OFP i am quiet sure that though it [OFP] has its fans it doesn't enjoy same critical public acclaim of war games such as COD 4 which focused more on FunFactor and story than critical realism. If a developer made a game that combined OFP's realism and COD 4's story and the way it pulled the player in emotionally would the end product be well received by the gaming public? Alternatively could a game that gave up the critical realism and like COD 4 focused more on Story and wide spread Playability as well as emotionally drawing the player in, could a game like that (Maybe Six Days in Fallujah) deliver a experience the could enlighten its players about the horrors of the war in Iraq if not war in general?
