Sub-genres that need new names:

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22 Apr 2008, 1:51 pm

“Metroid-Style”-Metroid wasn’t the first game to use that particular format, but it was extremely well done, and everyone’s played it, so “Metroid-style” was a quick shortcut for a certain subgenre of adventure game.

Problem now is the two most recent Metroid games-Prime Hunters and Prime 3-aren’t actually “Metroid-Style” games. They’re basically first person shooters. I’m not sure what to call these anymore. “Adventure game that functions similarly to the original Metroid” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

“Point & Click Adventure” or “PC-style Adventure”-In recent years this genre has become probably just as popular on the DS and other game systems as on the PC (ie it’s become less popular on PC, but more popular on the DS). Calling something a “PC style adventure” game is a bit silly now that the DS has so many original games in the genre. “Point & Click” might work, even if we’re talking about stylus control, but many of these use the normal control pad.
Of the top of my head, some alternative names might be “dialog driven adventure”-except that would leave out Myst and it’s sequels, some of the most visible and popular “PC style adventures” ever. “Puzzle based adventure-exc

Veresae
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22 Apr 2008, 9:39 pm

Hmm...most games these days really kinda fall in one of the following genres:

"Let's kill Arabs"
"Let's kill Nazis"
"Let's kill Commies"
"Let's kill Vietnamese"
"Let's kill Gangstas"
"Let's kill Orcs (or rats if you're low-level)"
"Let's kill Mutant Cyborg Aliens"
"Let's kill Zombies"
"Let's kill Koreans"

And finally:
"Let's control idiotic human being-wannabes who nag the user to let them go to the bathroom"

Quatermass
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22 Apr 2008, 10:10 pm

Wolfpup wrote:

"First person adventure"? I mean, for Metroid Prime? Only I heard that term used before.

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IdahoRose
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26 Apr 2008, 3:31 pm

Veresae wrote:

"Let's control idiotic human being-wannabes who nag the user to let them go to the bathroom"

Lol @ The Sims.

xyzyxx
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26 Apr 2008, 3:35 pm

Wolfpup wrote:

"Side-scrolling shooter" is the term you're looking for, I think.

victorvndoom
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28 Apr 2008, 4:10 am

rts that arent basic rts games but army games like ground control, Shogun TW , Medieval war should have different names, they dont deserve the name rts game. RTS is a game in my mind with basebuilding and not with armies.Then you could call it army strategy game

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NarfMann
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29 Apr 2008, 7:27 pm

Veresae wrote:

You forgot the hybrid games, notably:

"Let's kill Nazi Zombies"
"Let's kill Nazi Vampires"
and
"Let's kill Nazi Mutant Cyborg Aliens"

Making things Nazis makes them much more fun to kill

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29 Apr 2008, 8:00 pm

Earthbound needs it own sub-genre.

ToadOfSteel
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29 Apr 2008, 8:15 pm

All modern FPS's are clones of Goldeneye, Halo, or Counter-strike...
All modern RPG's are clones of Final Fantasy, Neverwinter Nights, or Elder Scrolls
All modern RTS's are clones of Warcraft, Command & Conquer, or Black & White.

Then the entire genre of Driving/flight simulator games is the same thing over and over, as is the "music game" genre and the "sim game" genre.

So, in effect, there have only been 12 new video games made since 1999...

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30 Apr 2008, 8:01 pm

ToadOfSteel wrote:

I don't think I agree with your choices for what's being cloned. Halo wasn't innovative at all--everything that had been done in it was done before in PC games, including the vehicles. Halo just was the first decent console FPS so it was popular, despite having some HORRIBLE flaws like the uber-repetitive level design.

I think modern RPGs are usually clones of Diablo and Everquest frequently, too. WAY too many are hack-and-slash RPGs that lack any real roleplaying, or are MMO's.

And Black & White clones are pretty damn rare.

Regardless, I totally agree that modern games are clones of clones of clones. It's terrible.

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30 Apr 2008, 8:17 pm

Veresae wrote:

ToadOfSteel wrote:

Quote:

I listed Halo because I couldn't think of where it drew influences from. If you cite an example I would be happy to amend it.

Quote:

I think modern RPGs are usually clones of Diablo and Everquest frequently, too. WAY too many are hack-and-slash RPGs that lack any real roleplaying, or are MMO's.

I had seen diablo itself as taking some elements from TES and others from FF... While the plot was original, the gameplay left more to be desired. Everquest, again, is largely TES-based in terms of gameplay...

Quote:

And Black & White clones are pretty damn rare.

rts's are more pc-oriented, and so while there's not that many direct clones, engine elements have largely been moved from one rts to another. Later rts's are just kitbashes of a selection of features from earlier rts's.

Black & White was largely original in terms of gameplay, so I listed it. While there haven't been direct clones of it, its elements have surfaced elsewhere... Sins of a Solar empire borrowed the "rt4x" variant from B&W, while LOTR: Battle for Middle Earth took the spellcasting idea. The "hand" hasn't resurfaced in anything else though....

Quote:

Regardless, I totally agree that modern games are clones of clones of clones. It's terrible.

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