[merylsilverburg]

Sorry for weaseling my way into this conversation but I just wanted to add my thoughts...not that it matters but oh well.

Originally Posted by Faile

x. I think the Sega Dreamcast was the last classic gaming console. The PS2 was too mainstream to ever really hold a large amount of title that I wanted to own, though the highlights are admittedly very high indeed.

I agree with you since the DC was really the first "next-gen" console on the market but somehow people just weren't into it. Perhaps it's as you said: it wasn't mainstream enough, although I thought there were a fair share of titles that really should've held the interest of many people at the time since the games essentially had the same plots, gameplay, and whatnot as the PS1/N64 just with better graphics and a bit of a twist.

BTW, Faile, have you ever managed to play ICO or Shadow of the Colossus? I know you said the PS2 was too mainstream for you but, to me, these two games had some of that grace and beauty that many people didn't appreciate; on the other hand, there are quite a number of people who love the games to pieces thereby almost making the games come off as mainstream...

Originally Posted by Faile

x. To me, the successor to the Dreamcast is the Xbox 360, which is a perfect console for me.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you on this one. I don't think any console currently can be considered a successor to the DC because the last and this gen's consoles (the latter much more so) are pretty similar: reaching out to a wide crowd. I can't think of any games on the 360 that can compare to the uniqueness of some DC games, like Omikron: The Last Nomad Soul, Space Channel 5, Jet Grind Radio, or, geez, even Toy Commander (don't laugh, the game was surprisingly fun even if I only played a few hours). There are a few games released on the PS2 and GC that I felt were along the same lines, like Okami and Viewtiful Joe but oh, whaddya know, the team that created these unique games is now defunct.

Originally Posted by Faile

x. Is the sole purpose of games only to entertain?

I think games are equivalent to books and movies: they can be entertaining but they can also teach as well. You can learn a lot of things from games that you can learn from the other mediums except games are just a more immersive experience. The only problem is that all the people now that companies are trying to appeal to simply think gaming is mere entertainment like movies without thinking that hey, movies teach too! So developers take away important elements like story, character development, and so on in favor of fun and earning a few more dollars. But this so-called "fun" can only last about 4 hours without becoming insanely dull or gimmicky unless it's done properly.

Originally Posted by Faile

x. Will videogaming ever be in the position to hold relevance for all persons upon this world? Would you even want it to do so (cf. my problem withe the ps2)

With what's going on now, I'm beginning to think and fear that gaming is going to eventually hold relevance with every person even if these persons considers it important or worthy for all the wrong reasons. For this, I'm going to target the Wii because, for what few good games it has, most of these games are just targeted for the family or casual crowd...causing them to think that OMG! Games are, like, so cool and, like, so fun and, like, they don't know why they've been missing it for all these years since they didn't realize it could be SO family-friendly! Please. Now you've got moms and dads thinking they are so unbelievably hip and trendy just because they own a Wii without realizing how gimmicky the console and the games are.

As for the second part of the question, well, no. My main issue with gaming being commonplace is very similar to the current movie trend: mainstream compromises quality. Sorry but when I watch films from the 40s up to the early to mid 90s, I get a sense of quality and care (not for all though). But when I look at the 'new releases' now, I feel my IQ dropping because most of it is just completely ridiculous stuff that's lining the shelves. I feel almost the same for games nowadays because I'm really sick and tired of hearing how great Halo, Killzone, Gears of War, Resistance, and whatever are when they are just similar games stamped with different titles to make people believe they're different. But, again, it's mostly when I see the Wii games. There is just no quality to a good portion of them, no matter what 'in-the-know' parent or driveling 12 year old says.

Even though, as Harry said, Wii games may not cost as much to develop as the others, I can't help but suspect that it doesn't matter in the end anyway because people eventually get lazy. But perhaps it's just my bitterness and lack of faith talking. Or perhaps, more than likely, it's not the games or consoles that are all that terrible but just the annoying consumers - aka the masses - who make it seem so unbearable.

Anyone can feel free to disagree or bash my thoughts considering that I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable when it comes to this area so much of what I said is probably just unreasonable and/or wrong.