10gamerknow.htm

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  to run well or keep up with the competing new games.
<p>Games also function on more levels than application programs do. This is seen 
  most easily by looking at what interface types or hardware a game must support, 
  as opposed to a regular application. Games must have full screen or high resolution 
  graphics capable of many frames per second of updating; applications do not 
  need to update the screen quickly and normally do not need any more interface 
  graphics than Windows provides as a default. Games must have soundtracks and 
  multiple sounds played at the same time. Applications almost never use sound 
  at all, Windows takes care of the beeps and buzzing noises associated with working 
  in Windows, when sounds are needed they almost never need to overlap. Games 
  are almost required to work over networks and specifically the Internet, which 
  is a major problem as it is slow, compensating for the slowness of the Internet 
  by guessing where things will be is extremely difficult to do. Applications 
  almost never deal with anything over the Internet, and when they do, they normally 
  do not care how long the information takes to get there, the user will wait 
  until it has arrived.
<p>There are many other examples of this, but I think this creates a fairly good 
  beginning illustration.

<H3><FONT COLOR=YELLOW><I>3 - When games are delayed, it's not because the game developers are too lazy or stupid.</I></FONT></H3>

<p>High quality games take an incredibly long time to create. Every game is currently 
  expected to contain all the features of previous games, plus newer features 
  to make it enticing for players. Doing this alone takes an incredible amount 
  of time, even given that what is trying to be built is totally understood. However, 
  doing anything that is unknown, such as trying to create a new type of 3D engine, 
  enemy AI or a new type of gameplay is almost completely unplanable Even if you 
  understand what you want to do from the beginning, what it turns out being in 
  practice often does not function the way you though it would, or it doesn't 
  turn out fun, or it isn't easy for everyone to understand.
<p>Trying to create a perfect balance of fun, ease of use and new technology before 
  the product is actually in place is almost impossible. There are so many factors 
  involved that it is basically a requirement that the game must change in the 
  middle because some things wont work, some things will become more desired, 
  and some things will have to be pushed further because games released during 
  development have advanced the technology, and now the game must keep up or surpass 
  the competition.

<H3><FONT COLOR=YELLOW><I>4 - Like buying anything, you get what you pay for, nothing more.</I></FONT></H3>

<p>A lot of discussion has been spent on games that &quot;needed certain features&quot;. 
  This is totally a point of view, and it is a valid point of view to have, but 
  it is not legally binding. Just because you purchase a game and it does not 
  have a multiplayer option, that game is not damaged or incomplete. You may wish 
  it had that feature, you may feel that the game would have been better with 
  it, you may feel dissatisfied that you didn't get to use this feature, but you 
  paid for a game and you received whatever was in the box, on the CD and advertised 
  when you bought it.
<p>If a game advertises that it has a feature, such as supporting a certain graphics 
  card, or supporting modem play, and it turns out that it will not support that 
  card or modem play, then you have a bone to pick with the developer/publisher 
  of the game. 
<p>Many people have complained about the game Civilization 2 as not having a multiplayer 
  option, and this became an excuse to pirate (steal) the game when the multiplayer 
  version was released as a separate purchase. Just because you bought the first 
  version, doesn't entitle you to get the second one for free, even if it seems 
  like a minor modification to that game that you wished was in the first version. 
  They didn't tell you that you were buying it, you didn't buy the first version 
  with that option, and it is totally the prerogative of the developer/publisher 
  to release any software, in any form or revisions that they want and charge 
  whatever they want for it. If you feel its unfair, complain to them or don't 
  buy it as a way of showing your disapproval. Stealing it solves nothing and 
  only furthers the gap between yourselves and the developers, which will ultimately 
  end in you receiving lower quality games and a fewer selection as game developers 
  will continue not to make as much money as they hoped on things that are heavily 
  pirated, and therefore, later on they will just choose not to make those things.
<p>Another important thing to consider is that games are made as a whole map of 
  different pieces that fit tightly together. You cannot simply throw in a new 
  feature and still have a balanced game at the last moment. This means that if 
  game X comes out 2 to 3 months before game Y, you can't expect game Y to have 
  a feature included in game X. You just can't add features like that at the last 
  moment without totally destroying the rest of the game, not to mention the time 
  it could take. Furthermore, it's important to keep in mind that one game may 
  have spectacular graphics and anothers may not be as good, but the first game 
  requires a substantially more powerful machine to run, so really you can't compare 
  them equally.
  
<H3><FONT COLOR=YELLOW><I>5 - Sequels are really sequels.</I></FONT></H3>

<p>Sequels are not an entirely new game, expect things to be similar. Mission 
  packs are the same game engine, with different levels. Sequels are a different 
  game engine, usually based on the first, with different levels.
<p>When you see a sequel to a movie coming out, you pretty much know what to expect; 
  the movie is going to have the same cast as the first one, with maybe a few 
  more people, the plot is going to be fairly similar to the first one, and the 
  method of communicating the plot is going to follow suit as well.
<p>A good example of this is the Lethal Weapon or Die Hard series. Both of them 
  have similar main characters with a floating supporting cast. Both of them have 
  roughly the same plots: someone related or close to the stars gets kidnapped/in 
  trouble, something gets taken over and there is a hostage situation. When you 
  see these movies you expect more of the same, what amused you before will be 
  redone to seem fresh, and will amuse you again, even though it is basically 
  the same thing.
<p>Games aren't any different in this respect. A sequel to any game is going to 
  have newer/fresher graphics, a new plot along the same lines or a continuation 
  of the first plot adding more background and characters. Very similar type of 
  play with a little more flexibility added and some refinement done to the existing 
  routines.
<p>Complaining about anything else is like complaining you got fried potatoes 
  when you order French fries, you knew you were going to get them, they advertised 
  what it was, why complain as if you expected something different? If you want 
  something different then stay away from sequels.

<H3><FONT COLOR=YELLOW><I>6 - If you want something besides pretty graphics, you have to vote with your money and interest.</I></FONT></H3>

<p>For years there has been growing commentaries on why games are becoming more 
  and more alike. Why there are so many games in certain genres, the First Person 
  Shooter (FPS) and Real-Time Strategy (RTS) genres most prominently.
<p>The reason for this is simple: <b>the game industry is a democracy, and you 
  vote with your money.</b>
<p>The reason more and more games are becoming alike is because those games are 
  where the majority of purchases are going. Whenever you buy a game, you are 
  sending a message to every game developer and publisher that THIS is the type 
  of game you want to see more of. The more types of those games you buy, the 
  more than will be made.
<p>This becomes a vicious circle as gamers see less and less choice, they turn 
  more to what they know and developers/publishers see less people buying games 
  out of the mainstream, so they make less games out of the mainstream.
<p>Why don't developers do original things anyway? Well, they do. The problem 
  is that almost all of them end up losing money on them because not enough people 
  are buying them, and then they have to stop and try things that seem safer. 
  Many game companies go out of business every year, most of them are the smaller 
  companies which a lot of you may not care about, because you haven't heard of 
  them. However, these are in a way a lifeblood to the games industry. Without 
  smaller developers, the larger developers will try to stay with their &quot;franchise&quot; 
  products. Tomb Raider, Command &amp; Conquer, WhateverCraft are all examples 
  of working game franchises which will be used endlessly as long as people are 
  buying them. They may be good games, they may be fun, but when the 15th sequel 
  is released they will most likely lose their appeal, and a lot of smaller developers 
  have gone by the wayside until then.
<p>Lessons learned in bad sales are remembered for a long time because no one 
  likes to lose money. None of this means you should buy games that you don't 
  like or that aren't good, but if you don't pay attention to the smaller developers 
  and don't even look at titles that aren't in your favorite franchise then you 
  may be inadvertently narrowing your selection of games in the future.

<H3><FONT COLOR=YELLOW><I>7 - Reviews and demos exist for a reason.</I></FONT></H3>

<p>This seems to be the rage for most gamers to get games when they are first 
  released. There is obvious anticipation of the product, sequels have you wanting 
  more of the original which you have played too much. New games offer enticing 
  thrills to be had only moments after a purchase.
<p>However, you are still buying a product, and with software, you are very much 
  buying a product in-progress (see Rule #1 for why software can't be released 
  without bugs). You are likely to hit all the problems that just couldn't be 
  tested and fixed in the developer/publisher offices and then you will have to 
  wait for a patch.
<p>If you cant stomach this, the solution is to wait until you find out what the 
  problems are with the game. Almost every game will have them so bank on it. 
  If a game comes out that has no bugs, you will most likely hear about it very 
  quickly from online reviews and word of mouth.
<p>If you often find yourself disappointed with games you buy because they don't