Randy Fredlund's Posts
Confessions of an Old Gamer
I have attempted to game.
First a bit of background. Back in prehistoric times, I pumped enough quarters into one particular game to buy a small vehicle. A couple of friends and I would go to a local bar, drink beer and play this game on a regular basis. Yes, you are correct, we had no girlfriends.
It was a game that was one step up from Pong. Breakout, as it was called, was one of those ball and paddle games, but you had to keep bouncing the ball back at the top of the screen where the "bricks" were suspended by some mysterious video game physics. You had to keep the ball from getting past the paddle while trying to get the ball to hit each of the bricks, which would disappear when hit by the ball.
It was really difficult. In order to significantly change the path of the ball, one had to essentially hit the edge of the paddle. This put you at risk of missing it completely. But if you were successful, you could get to the point where the wall of bricks was partially punctured, and the ball would careen around behind the rest of the bricks, taking out more of them without any involvement from you. Of course, it would pick up speed and eventually come flying out of the opening when you weren't ready for it, but a few hundred dollars worth of quarters would prepare you for that situation.
After months of this routine, I finally played until I had only one brick left. It was a duel to the death. I hung on for what seemed like hours as the ball screamed ever faster across the screen. Finally, with a particularly inspired edge shot, I managed to hit the last brick and the screen was clear.
And then? I expected that the programmers would be flying into town to recognize me as the world's premier Breakout player. A brass band. A ticker tape parade. Or at least a free beer. But alas, it was not to be. All I got was a new screen full of bricks, and a smaller paddle.
I never put another quarter in that game.
Fast forward to 2007. I've hooked up the Play Station 3 to the HD screen and surround sound in my living room for the ultimate gaming experience. I've booted it up, and "Resistance: Fall of Man" is ready to go. I firmly grip the six-axis controller that will control my motion and weapon and press the button that transfers me to the battle to save the human race.
Before I know it, I'm dead. The alien attackers have made short work of me while I fumble with the too-sensitive controls. And this is on the "Easy" setting. Another go, and I'm dead again. The ramp up on learning the controls will be tedious, no doubt. Oops, I'm dead again. In glorious detail. Your personal death is only shown in monochrome. Too disturbing to see yourself die in color? And the game never shows you your death-contorted face. Another try, and I'm dead again. Then, by some miracle, or by some fluke of programming that allows even gaming bozos to have a modicum of success, I make it past this first bloody street and into another skirmish in a square.
"Resistance: Fall of Man" Screenshot from the PS3 Website
(I never got anywhere near seeing this screen)
I'm dead again and again and again. Finally, by actually reading the on-screen prompt, I learn to duck down behind barricades. I only get killed half as quickly now. "Hey, your foot was blown off that time," my wife offers.
After most of 3 hours, I finally kill the scurvy knave on the balcony so that I can run under the archway that seems to be the only way out of the square. But before I do, I meander around a bit, examining the shrubberies and beautifully rendered battle-scarred courtyard walls. It is an enjoyable moment of peace in this hell on earth. With a stroke of inspiration, I actually save the game at this point so that I can return without having to kill my way back. Then I dash through the archway and up the stairs. Dead again as I pass the next doorway too slowly. Hmmm... One more go, but this time, I toss a grenade into the room as I run past the doorway.
I almost rejoiced as I realized I had blown away that group of foes in record time. But what I had won just dawned on me. Another screen full of bricks. And probably a smaller paddle, somewhere down the line. All you win is the chance to go farther and farther into this virtual world.
I shut off the game and left it hooked up to see if I would get the urge to try it again. After two weeks now, I've had no desire whatsoever. I'd rather go curling. Or skiing. Or play cribbage. Anything else.
But I have learned a few things about gaming.
1) Gaming is for people who are highly skilled and have time to kill.
2) The standard controller interface is horrible. Nothing intuitive about it. I'm sure any real gamer would tell me how wrong I am, but that's only because they have spent the time necessary to learn how to use it. I believe Nintendo's Wii is a reaction to the poor interface.
3) The virtual world is engaging. Exploring another beautifully rendered world may be something that people other than gamers might like to do by using a game box. Pop in the proper disk and take a virtual vacation to Sorrento. Or pre-Katrina New Orleans. Or the Starship Enterprise. And interact with the characters as well.
Maybe I'll try again someday. Maybe with a different game. This experience has gotten me thinking - about interfaces, about the possibilities, about time. And speaking of time, I'm off to play games in the real world.
Comments
Posted By: Randy Fredlund (11/2/2009)
Comment: spielen, Be sure to post the link to your article.
Posted By: Randy Fredlund (4/10/2007)
Comment: Tim, If my math and assumptions are correct, this should be the difference: 1080p = 1920 Ã- 1080 or 2,073,600 pixels at 24 bits/pixel = 49766400 bits 1/4 VGA = 320 x 240 = 76800 pixels at 4 bits/pixel = 307200 bits So the frame buffer for the PlayStation 3 is 162 times larger than Atari's Breakout. By the way, the beer had more of effect than I realized. Breakout didn't hit the market until 1976.
Posted By: Kendall (4/9/2007)
Comment: Forgot. In my sons' circles, it's "World of WarCrack".
Posted By: Kendall Keyes (4/9/2007)
Comment: Ah, yes. I remember going to my newlywed brother's apartment to play Pong on the orange console. I bought Intellivision for my parents. Donkey Kong was my barroom addiction, and later, Galaga. At least in Donkey Kong, you could eventually beat Kong. (He was the bad guy in the olden days.) I was an ace at Snow Brothers, but I quit gaming during the "Super Nintendo" phase of gaming. Not enough time. Angry wife. My kids now play games that look like movies for hours at a time. Way beyond my skill or desire. They no longer need a game genie to beat the game. I've decided to go low tech. I am addicted to Sudoku.
Posted By: Tim (4/9/2007)
Comment: Randy - it would be cool if you could post the total # of pixels from the frame buffer of the original Breakout vs a frame from Resistance on PS3. After all, you are a pixel purveryor! BTW - exellent use of hypertext.
Posted By: Randy Fredlund (4/9/2007)
Comment: Ann - Thanks for the pointer to World of Warcraft. I should have also mentioned something about how much I once enjoyed using my kids as an exuse to play Myst. Felix- I think you should create a game like the one you want and become very rich. Corrine - interesting reference. Glad to see that the value of hallucination is finally being recognized.
Posted By: Corrine (4/9/2007)
Comment: Not everyone is of the mind that 1972 is prehistoric. ;) I agree "The virtual world is engaging." Where our concern used to be in correctly displaying cyan, magenta, etc., now if you don't like the image portrayed, use "High Dynamic Range Image Hallucination" (Ref: http://research.microsoft.com/research/pubs/view.aspx?0rc=p&type=technical+report&id=1280 ) to change it.
Posted By: Felix ShanghaiDweller (4/9/2007)
Comment: You are right. Most games seem to a pre-determined hiking path, you die or you press buttons until you die, no suprise. Well, they used to have games where you can actually see a half naked lady if you win, that was pretty cool before internet came into being. Somebody please invent a game not only to practice my hand muscle... p.s. the driving wheel for racing games are pretty cool.
Posted By: Ann (4/6/2007)
Comment: World of Warcraft!