Ever the trend setter, it looks like Nintendo may have started a new one -- holding players' hands.
Siliconera recently dug up a Microsoft patent filing that appears to be its own answer to New Super Mario Bros. Wii's "Super Guide." In it, a system is described in which a player caught in a tight spot would be able to pause the game and then access a database of online, user- or developer-submitted tips. The help system could included screenshots, video clips, as well as audio commentary to help gamers.
The potential for such a system brings up some unanswered questions. How would this affect physical strategy guide business, and would Microsoft monetize this service in some way?
Ubisoft recently began offering a similar style guide, tied in with its Uplay service and Assassin's Creed 2. Gamers can hop into their web browser to watch publisher-designed walkthrough content for the game's missions, achievements, and more.
What do you guys think of these services? Would this be something you'd pay for, or are you so opposed to walkthroughs/hints that you'd simply never access the features?
[via GamesIndustry.biz]
Contest:
8:20 AM on 11.24.2009
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GAMERS THESE DAYS...
Players still buy strategy guides?
Sony better not add this to the PS3.
What do you think. It's Microsoft
As long as there are rewards for not using it, people will still want to beat the game on their own. If the game is good, you'll still want to play it again, super guide or not. So I don't see this ruining anything on its own. People that just play for the story can muddle through. People that actually want a challenge can have their challenge.
That's big of you. Prick.
And goodbye gamefaqs.
...the award for rhetorical question of the day goes to.......
.........mr Nick Chester!
clap clap clap clap clap clap rabble rabble rabble.
Seriously though, in my day we used to play games for a challenge. I see so many of these casual gamers that don't want a challenge these days, it's just not the same.
This is all well and good as some optional extra, just don't you dare take our challenge away! Don't even dare suggest i use your cop-out-guide if i'm struggling.
I have a friend, in his 40's, plays a lot of Wii and PS3, loves to play through single player games, having his hand held, dropping the difficulty if it gets too hard - but he just FAILS to get into Online gaming as he can't get past the I'm-not-very-good-at-this-yet-so-die-a-whole-lot thing.
I keep telling him, just play more and you'll get better and it'll become more fun.
or
Everytime you die it makes that next kill all that much sweeter.
But no, the co-op invitations persist, over and over and over.
NO i want to play PvP, join me or leave me alone!
Give him Demons Souls. Tell him it's easy.
And force him to not leave the house until he has BECOME A MAN AND BEATEN IT.
I HATE the idea of it automatically finishing the game FOR you.
Given that it'll be totally optional and probably a Gold exclusive feature (to "incentivise" subscription), there's nothing really wrong with it. It just streamlines a process we know (because of GameFAQs) a lot of gamers already go through.
reading is fundamental.
Fuck that. Jesus christ games are too easy now a days. What would be the point of having a hold your hand option for a game like Call of Duty on Veteran?
Also, those citing Demon's Souls - it has online hints in the game.Observe blood stain, see how someone else died. That's basically your Super Guide right there, Luigi just dies horribly instead.
I try to avoid using strategy guides unless I'm hopelessly stuck somewhere
@tarvu
UESP is a great site, you don't really need it for a walk through a lot of the time, it's listing of glitches and loot along with where locations are is simply superb.
I've been playing Demon's Souls and NSMB Wii lately and they feel harder than every other game I've played for the past 2 or 3 years. I'm also having the most fun that I've had in years, despite my swearing and cushion punching.
Excuse me? What did I say to warrant a personal attack there, might I ask?
Aplogies (sincerely) if I got it wrong, but it sounded like an attack on me/us, the 360 gamer.
Ah. No, I meant they try to make very accessible games that are not difficult. Halo is a very simple and straightforward FPS, Fable is a very simple and straightforward RPG, Halo Wars is a very simple and straightforward RTS, Viva Pinata is a simple and straightforward builder/economy game, and so on and so forth.
They aren't bad games really, but they are made to be fun and accessible for gamers and more casual players at the same time. So, those games of all things having this level of assistance seems to be over-the-top in a way. If you can't play Fable you will probably never be able to play an RPG, in other words. They are already quite accessible.
Perhaps there is a little elitist niche gamer in there, but I think my opinion is sound.
I realise that all of us gamers like to think of ourselves as an elite pantheon of gaming excellence and skill, but not everyone is like that, and if it means that devs can make games harder yet still appeal to casuals? Then I'm all for it.
'nuff said
Games today... are not challenging. Not in the way games used to be. Every game now has an hour or two of tutorial to begin with, that seem to be written with the mentally challenged in mind :
( "press forward to move. no, you don't actually have to move. Just stay in your seat and press the button. Not that button. Not that button....keep going....that's the one! Well done! You found the button that makes you move forward" <Achievement Unlocked> "Now, press down to move backwards........." )
And then there are save points every 5 steps. And constant scrolling objectives telling you exactly what you should be doing at any given moment.
meh. If this is the cost, maybe I don't want gaming to be "mainstream". Maybe I don't want my gran to know the difference between Alliance and Horde. Maybe I'm happy with gaming being an underground thing. Like a Fight Club for fat kids. Maybe.
A fine example of the discussion here is Sonic the Hedgehog on XBLA. Exact replica of the original in terms of gameplay and difficulty, but with 'save anywhere'.
The games of old were hard because the punishment for failure was tough. The games of today can be just as hard, but you're not punished so badly.
I recount a section in MW2 on Veteran that took around 70-odd attempts (yes, I'm sure many took much less); but after each failure I didn't have to restart the level, and after several such failures I didn't have to restart the whole game. That's the main progression of today.
However, one person did make a good point...if you're a fan of challenge over simple entertainment, then the whole move from niche 'geek' fodder to mainstream that everyone was craving for several years ago, really didn't want to happen the way it did.