"The Convergence of Adventure and FPS Games"

[Intrepid Homoludens]

http://www.gamespy.com/previews/september03/beyondmulti/05s.jpg (http://www.gamespy.com/asp/image.asp?platform=PC&genre=ACTION&image=/previews/september03/beyondmulti/05.jpg) http://www.gamespy.com/reviews/december03/urupc/09s.jpg (http://www.gamespy.com/asp/image.asp?platform=PC&genre=GENRE&image=/reviews/december03/urupc/09.jpg)
"Give to me your puzzles, take from me my 3D space..." : Beyond Good And Evil, and
Uru: Ages Beyond Myst. Click for large.

AVault discusses convergence of adventures and shooters (http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=410):

The Adrenaline Vault's Bob Mandel discusses the gradually vanishing boundaries between adventure games and first person shooters in his article, "The Convergence of Adventure and FPS Games" (http://www.avault.com/articles/getarticle.asp?name=convergence) :

For most of the last decade, you couldn’t imagine two more opposite computer game genres than adventure titles and first-person shooters. The former traditionally revolved around a lot of story, very little violence and limited movement, while the second customarily involved no narrative, lots of shooting and unrestricted progress...

Now all of that is changing. With the advent of recent revolutionary releases, the convergence of these two formerly opposing types of recreation has been astounding. First-person shooters are becoming more like adventure games, and adventure titles are increasingly incorporating action components. The most obvious movement has been in the realm of puzzle-adventure and action-adventure offerings.

Interesting read, though a bit inconsistent here and a tad over-reaching there. But in the end:

Fans of both types of virtual recreation need to drop their opposing prejudices, realize that all of us share a lot in common and accept that all types of games and their followers deserve respect and tolerance. For, in the end, we all win when the best ideas from any outside source are assimilated into our favorite kind of electronic escape.

Amen, dear.

:) Let's discuss....

[remixor]

Is there anything wrong with the convergence of adventure and first-person shooter offerings? Purists in both genres are probably disappointed to see it happening. There have already been screams of protest from puzzle fanatics about Cyan implementing a mouse+keyboard control system, the need to move objects and the prominence in Uru?s design of multiplayer components. Some shooter fans are upset, too, and crave a return to the simple "kill-or-be-killed" gunfights of the past. At the same time, there are many who genuinely appreciate each title?s importation of innovations from other genres in the name of deepening the gameplay.

Are the distinctions between these two genres becoming meaningless? Will adventure folk and the shooter crowd become interchangeable and even grow to be friends? Probably not in the near future. Nobody is likely to confuse Doom III with Syberia II when the two are released, for example. Nonetheless, it?s going to be increasingly difficult to make the kinds of black-and-white distinctions between adventures and 3D shooters that have kept them separate in the past. Fans of both types of virtual recreation need to drop their opposing prejudices, realize that all of us share a lot in common and accept that all types of games and their followers deserve respect and tolerance. For, in the end, we all win when the best ideas from any outside source are assimilated into our favorite kind of electronic escape.

Hear, hear!

I for one welcome these convergences. The biggest effect they will have be to enrich and add to existing genres to create more varied and innovative gameplay. Unfortunately, there will be people from both camps who have complaints with such direction, but I truly believe it's the right thing to happen. After all, as the guy says, nobody's going to confuse Doom III and Syberia II. I highly doubt the genres are ever going to actually meld into one, so if they're going to borrow from each other, great.

[ragnar]

An FPS without shooting sounds good to me. :)

[Erkki]

I read that yesterday, but I kind of don't see a point, except in the last paragraph.

[Ninth]

I welcome such a convergence, if it doesn't mean the death of classical adventures. I can see and appreciate where URU or BS3 are going, but I want to see more Syberias or Runaways (well, I dislike runaway, but not for any conceptual reasons).

[Intrepid Homoludens]

An FPS without shooting sounds good to me. :)

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/screenshots/6/71536/thief_thumb006.jpg (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/thiefthedarkproject/screens.html?page=1) http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/screenshots/6/71536/thief_thumb001.jpg (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/thiefthedarkproject/screens.html?page=6)

That's what Warren Spector and the erstwhile Looking Glass Studios thought when they conceived Thief: The Dark Project at the end of the 90s, dear. Have you forgotten? (... the 2 hardest difficulty settings in the game prohibit you from killing people)

I welcome such a convergence, if it doesn't mean the death of classical adventures. I can see and appreciate where URU or BS3 are going, but I want to see more Syberias or Runaways (well, I dislike runaway, but not for any conceptual reasons).

:rolleyes: Don't be so pessimistic. Classical adventures can never die as long as there is some ongoing demand for them. The proof is the overwhelming teenage members in this forum, as well as RPG, strategy, and FPS gamers (such as those at the Gone Gold forums and the 3DRealms forums) who love playing traditional adventures as a break from all that bloody carnage. I should know, I've discussed adventure games with them (http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=395061&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1), and they love Grim Fandango, Sam & Max, Day of The Tentacle, the Monkey Island series....and The Longest Journey and Syberia. They love them almost as much as we do. In fact, some of them voiced that they don't like the new crop of real time 3D adventures and would rather play point-&-clickers. :7 Surprised?

[Tanukitsune]

(Imagines hisself fragging grues while trying to solve a puzzle) :eek:

Ehhhh.... This will be interesting....

But I wonder if it will make adveture gamers play more FPS games and viceversa.... :confused:

I can't imagine a game half Quake/half Monkey Island, but I can imagine a game half NOLF/Spycraft...

I hope this "gender blender" makes a delicious new genre! Mmmm, now I'm hungry, must go... :9~

[Intrepid Homoludens]

(Imagines hisself fragging grues while trying to solve a puzzle)

The only way you can kill a grue is by using nightvision goggles or thermal goggles. You need to play Splinter Cell, my dear 8-) .

But I wonder if it will make adveture gamers play more FPS games and viceversa....

It already has been. Look at these hardcore first person shooter gamers who love the adventure game as well. (http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=395061&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=3&vc=1) It's ultimately the hardcore adventure game fundamentalists who'll remain inflexible, as well as loyal purists in other genres. But I predict that for the most part, many openminded adventure gamers, casual/mainstream gamers, and gamers who play primarily other genres (RPGs, FPSs) will be more curious and willing to embrace the cocktail. For example, Beyond Good and Evil may not have garnered commercial success, but many game critics and hardcore gamers are raving about it. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is getting mainstream media coverage. (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/fun.games/01/21/persia.game/index.html) Uru is being touted favourably by many RPG gamers. Wait a bit longer, you'll get even more proof 8-) .

I hope this "gender blender" makes a delicious new genre! Mmmm, now I'm hungry, must go...

http://smilies.networkessence.net/s/otn/angry/nono.gif Game software is not edible. Got it?

[syntheticgerbil]

Well I hope for the death of classic adventures...

[Tanukitsune]

The only way you can kill a grue is by using nightvision goggles or thermal goggles. You need to play Splinter Cell, my dear 8-) .

What if I squinted REALLY hard? :P
It already has been. Look at these hardcore first person shooter gamers who love the adventure game as well. (http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=395061&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=3&vc=1) It's ultimately the hardcore adventure game fundamentalists who'll remain inflexible, as well as loyal purists in other genres. But I predict that for the most part, many openminded adventure gamers, casual/mainstream gamers, and gamers who play primarily other genres (RPGs, FPSs) will be more curious and willing to embrace the cocktail. For example, Beyond Good and Evil may not have garnered commercial success, but many game critics and hardcore gamers are raving about it. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is getting mainstream media coverage. (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/fun.games/01/21/persia.game/index.html) Uru is being touted favourably by many RPG gamers. Wait a bit longer, you'll get even more proof 8-) .

I must admit I do like playing some FPS, I'm still waiting for Duke Nukem Forever which will be released next millenium...

http://smilies.networkessence.net/s/otn/angry/nono.gif Game software is not edible. Got it?
What? Then what did I just eat it? It was round and it had a circle and....
Oh wait, it was a donut, but it was Monkey Island flavoured! MONKEY ISLAND FLAVOURED I TELL YOU! :crazy:

[Sumaleth]

Cross-genre games have been around for as long as I've been playing computer games. Hunter's Moon on the Commodore 64, for example, is an action-puzzle game. He wrote that article like this is something new. Journalists are such noobs. :)

[Tanukitsune]

Cross-genre games have been around for as long as I've been playing computer games. Hunter's Moon on the Commodore 64, for example, is an action-puzzle game. He wrote that article like this is something new. Journalists are such noobs. :)
He probably meant that these are the only two genres that have never been combined before... :confused:

[remixor]

No, I think he meant that genres are taking from each other in unprecented ways, and at a faster pace and higher frequency than in the past. There have obviously been examples of genre-crossing for ages, but it's becoming much more prevalent and substantial in the last few years.

[Tanukitsune]

That reminds me...
Does anybody remember that game that claimed to have some many genre blended in? It was Haven, I think...

I remember playing it and it was no different from Jak & Daxter genrewise... :shifty:

[ragnar]

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/screenshots/6/71536/thief_thumb006.jpg (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/thiefthedarkproject/screens.html?page=1) http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/screenshots/6/71536/thief_thumb001.jpg (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/thiefthedarkproject/screens.html?page=6)

That's what Warren Spector and the erstwhile Looking Glass Studios thought when they conceived Thief: The Dark Project at the end of the 90s, dear. Have you forgotten? (... the 2 hardest difficulty settings in the game prohibit you from killing people)

I've yet to play Thief to any great extent. I tried the demo once, but found it hard to understand exactly how and why the opponents you follow suddenly heard you and why they sometimes other didn't.

[Erkki]

Ehh... I wrote a relatively long post here, but I'll just say this: I take back what I said -- there is a point to the article, but IMHO it wasn't as well written or researched as usual for Bob Mandel.

[Bastich]

The proof is the overwhelming teenage members in this forum, as well as RPG, strategy, and FPS gamers who love playing traditional adventures as a break from all that bloody carnage.

That happens to be the exact reason I play adventure games. Because they have no action in them and I can relax and just solve puzzles and perhaps take part in a good story.