I had popped in Fallout 3, waiting for initial hard drive install to finish up when I started thinking. The entire process took about five minutes, but in that time, I realized the importance of loading screens/time and how they can make or break games in the review department.
In most video game reviews, there are mentions of graphics, storytelling, gameplay, audio, and loading times. It seems that in our quest for total immersion, the loading screen is a hiccup that takes us out of our dreamscape, breaking the fourth wall and letting us know that indeed we are just playing a videogame. Reviews make note of the loading times and whether a game is worth playing is sometimes hinging on this one portion of the gaming experience. I haven't had the chance to play Bayonetta, but the reviews tell us that for this multiplatform game, the loading times for the ps3 is longer, and therefore the inferior game compared to its xbox counterpart.
People absolutely hate loading times. Reviewers for games tend to hate loading times.
Not me though.
Why you ask? [You didn't, but for the sake of this blog, I'm going to pretend it so]
It takes me back. Back to a time when the load screen was less of a nuisance and more of a precursor to the exciting experience that awaits. Its the curtain slowly closing after the trailers and slowly opening up again as the feature presentation begins.
My one example takes me back to Wing Commander 3 and my Pentium 2. All around school there was talk of this new game that was on multiple [!!!] cds and had an all star cast to boot. I pestered my dad about this game, what could possibly be the greatest game of all time. He relented and after heading out to the electronics store, I had in my hands what looked to be a fantastic adventure waiting for me.
I remembered installing the game, and then once I was in the game, waiting...
and waiting...
and waiting...
Over six minutes of loading per level. Just staring at a blank screen waiting.
Oh sure, I thought, this was a state of the art graphics so of course it was going to take time to load up. And you know what? All the waiting was worth it. It was Luke Skywalker and a talking lion. It was choose your own adventure dialog. It was a space opera in scope. I tapped my toes, memorized hot keys, and savored every second once the loading screen was finished. Even then, I knew that there was a tradeoff between state of the art technology and our enjoyment of it.
So, even now, when those loading and install screens popped up in MGS4, I didn't bristle. I waited with bated breath, fingers on the buttons, ready to experience another epic adventure. I don't curse at it. I don't mind it too much. I tend to skip over the parts of reviews that mention loading screens/times. You know why? Because its all just part of the game.
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Who remembers the loading screens from Riiiiiiidge Raceeerrrrrr!
Also, the MGS4 loading screens literally made me laugh out loud at four O'clock in the morning, by myself in my dorm room.
I find it really depends on the game and how well done the loading screens are. Sonic Shuffle on the Dreamcast had terrible loading screens because it was like 30 second pauses into each minigame. It became frustrating if you just wanted to play minigames. But then there is Killzone 2 's loading screens where every time, even now, I'm always like "ZOMG!! IT'S 3D!!". Interactive loading screens are my favourite.
By the way, in the Metal Gear Solid 4 picture, do you realize that your entire room is showing in the reflection from the screen?
It's almost like Snake is in the same room. RUN!
Loading screens should give you something to do. Reading, fooling around with something I don't care. Just something so we'll actually know the game didn't freeze.
Also the MGS4 install screens are the most badass ones I've seen.