Ask Polly About Video GamesA

[IMPress Polly]

Well with the biggest game industry trade show of the year, E3, having just wrapped up, I figure this would be the perfect time to share a little bit about my favorite medium since it's on the public's mind at the moment and being as it would appear that only a minority of our members play video games. I enjoy sharing the trivial gaming-related knowledge that I've managed to accumulate over the last 27 years of being a gamer. Why don't we make this an all-purpose video gaming Q&A thread? May not know everything, but if it's anything basic, I can probably answer it for you!

Here are some hypothetical examples of the types of questions one might pose here and the answers thereto:

Q: What was the first video game ever made?
A: It depends on exactly how you define a video game. Most people, however, would define it as a game played on a screen and by that definition the answer is 1958's Tennis for Two, which was played on an oscilloscope.

Q: How many people play video games?
A: At present, about half the U.S. population plays video games at least casually, though only about 10% of Americans describe themselves as gamers.

Q: How old is the average game-player?
A: 35 years old in this country, according to the most recent report released by the Entertainment Software Association (the game industry's trade association).

Q: How many girls and women play video games?
A: Females currently compose anywhere between 25 and 45% of all American video gamers, depending on exactly how you define that term.

Q: What's the most popular video game ever made?
A: The Angry Birds. The original Angry Birds game has been downloaded BILLIONS of times and is credited with, among other things, popularizing mobile phone gaming after its initial launch back in 2009.

Q: What's the top-selling video game of all time?
A: Minecraft. As of the start of this year, 2009's independently-developed world-creation game had sold 144 million copies and enjoyed a monthly active player base of 74 million people. (2009 was a something of a banner year for gaming as a medium, if you couldn't tell.) It's available for really every semi-current-gen device that can possible play video games.

Q: What is your favorite video game, Polly?
A: Probably the goofy visual novel Butterfly Soup, to be honest. :tongue: My favorite game from the current calendar year-to-date, Celeste, is far more interactive though.

Q: I've heard that virtual reality is the future of the medium. Is that really true?
A: Maybe. If it becomes more cheaply available and finds a way to become compatible with multiplayer gaming. It's hard to tell as yet.

ETC. Got a question? Ask away!

[kilgram]

Q: Why do you dislike many AAA games like The Witcher 3? :)

Q: What are the games that look like more interesting for you of this E3?

[Common]

I believe the first video game was Pong, a dot you hit with a straight line that represented a paddle

[IMPress Polly]

Q: Why do you dislike many AAA games like The Witcher 3? :)

Q: What are the games that look like more interesting for you of this E3?

Thanks for your questions, Kilgram! :smiley: Haven't seen you around in a while! What's new?

Anyway, to your questions:

Q: Why do you dislike many AAA games like The Witcher 3? :)

A: I don't dislike The Witcher 3! I just have a nuanced opinion of it. As to the question of why I'm not as big a fan of major, AAA games more broadly as I often am of many smaller, independently-developed games, I grew up in a time when most game development companies and publishers were smaller than the giants of today and wherein they less often relied on market research (because they were less able to) than with their collective gut. Games often felt more sincere as a result, to me anyway. Today, I find that small, independent developers are often able to recapture that creative spirit in a way that the corporate giants rarely still do. They often take more risks because they have less to lose and no gigantic publishing company to answer to for the content they create.

Q: What are the games that look like more interesting for you of this E3?
A: You'll be happy to know that they're actually major games for a change. :wink: The two games I came away from the E3 events most anticipating were Death Stranding and most especially The Last of Us: Part II. Here's the trailer for the latter that was shown at Sony's press conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btmN-bWwv0A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btmN-bWwv0A)

[IMPress Polly]

I believe the first video game was Pong, a dot you hit with a straight line that represented a paddle
Pong was actually created much later! 1972, to be precise. In fact, not only was Pong NOT the first video game, it wasn't even the first arcade game. It was but the first arcade game NOT to wind up a commercial failure; the first to actually make money. And not too much money at that. Gaming didn't really take off as a major cultural phenomenon until Space Invaders hit arcades in 1978.

[Ethereal]

I'm not sure if you've mentioned it before, but have you played the game Claire? I downloaded it for free from the PS Store and it seems to be right up your ally.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8n9Y6EU3Zw

I'm playing it right now - it's SUPER creepy.

[Common]

Pong was actually created much later! 1972, to be precise. In fact, not only was Pong NOT the first video game, it wasn't even the first arcade game. It was but the first arcade game NOT to wind up a commercial failure; the first to actually make money. And not too much money at that. Gaming didn't really take off as a major cultural phenomenon until Space Invaders hit arcades in 1978.

I stand corrected, the bar we all hung in off duty had a pong machine, then 2, then 3, everyone was addicted

[Shady Slim]

I'm not sure if you've mentioned it before, but have you played the game Claire? I downloaded it for free from the PS Store and it seems to be right up your ally.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8n9Y6EU3Zw

I'm playing it right now - it's SUPER creepy.

That looks like 1980's dimensional movement. Left to right or right to left. But thanks for your input.


What IS up my alley is Far Cry5, The Last of Us P2 and Gran Tourismo Sport. There is no better open world game than Far Cry 5.

[Shady Slim]

Thanks for your questions, Kilgram! :smiley: Haven't seen you around in a while! What's new?

Anyway, to your questions:

Q: Why do you dislike many AAA games like The Witcher 3? :)

A: I don't dislike The Witcher 3! I just have a nuanced opinion of it. As to the question of why I'm not as big a fan of major, AAA games more broadly as I often am of many smaller, independently-developed games, I grew up in a time when most game development companies and publishers were smaller than the giants of today and wherein they less often relied on market research (because they were less able to) than with their collective gut. Games often felt more sincere as a result, to me anyway. Today, I find that small, independent developers are often able to recapture that creative spirit in a way that the corporate giants rarely still do. They often take more risks because they have less to lose and no gigantic publishing company to answer to for the content they create.

Q: What are the games that look like more interesting for you of this E3?
A: You'll be happy to know that they're actually major games for a change. :wink: The two games I came away from the E3 events most anticipating were Death Stranding and most especially The Last of Us: Part II. Here's the trailer for the latter that was shown at Sony's press conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btmN-bWwv0A

I am a big fan of The Last of Us. I am dying for Part 2 to become available.

Far Cry 5 . . . Just when it starts getting really exciting . . .you are close to the end. I found all the Vietnam Lighters, Bobbleheads, Baseball cards, whiskey barrels, wolf beacons and road kills. Having a harder time finding all the shrines as they only mark a few of them on the map and leave the rest of the dozen or so for you to find on your own. Because the map and playfield are so large, it would take forever to run from one end to the other locating them all. I have flown in planes and helicopters searching for them. Very difficult to locate. Any suggestions?

[IMPress Polly]

I'm not sure if you've mentioned it before, but have you played the game Claire? I downloaded it for free from the PS Store and it seems to be right up your ally.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8n9Y6EU3Zw

I'm playing it right now - it's SUPER creepy.
I've heard of Claire, but haven't gotten around to playing it yet. Looks like it has potential!


ShadySlim wrote:
That looks like 1980's dimensional movement. Left to right or right to left.

Yes, and...?

To me, it appears that the game may have an interesting story to tell!

[Ethereal]

That looks like 1980's dimensional movement. Left to right or right to left. But thanks for your input.


What IS up my alley is Far Cry5, The Last of Us P2 and Gran Tourismo Sport. There is no better open world game than Far Cry 5.
Yea, it's a throwback to the older style of gaming. It has a cool retro feel.

I play Gran Turismo Sport as well. I actually managed to get a DR of A+ at one point, but I got disconnected during a race and I fell back down to A as a result. Was kind of demoralizing.