Genre-ation Ex (January 26, 2010)

[ChrisReid]

Wired UK is pondering the question, "Where do game genres go to die?" As alive and well as the Wing Commander community is, it's still hard not to notice the lack of new space sims on the market today. Their article also addresses adventure games and 3D real time strategy titles, which are conspicuously absent these days too. The author then looks to fan mods for some relief, and hasn't found it yet. As Gavinfoxx points out, he needs to check out some awesome WC mods!

Remember Wing Commander? X-Wing and Tie Fighter? Day of the Tentacle? Homeworld? All huge games, and all part of genres that now barely exist.

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Original update published on January 26, 2010

 

[Jason_Ryock]

It's not just space games either - twice I've been through the PC rack of games at places like Gamestop and Best Buy (the PC rack itself keeps getting smaller and smaller, too) and not noticed one single flight simulator. Literally nothing that you -COULD- play with a Joystick, let alone something that required it.

Also the number of FPS games on the market is simply shocking to me. I've never been an FPS gamer, so I never really paid it much attention, but like, half the shelf was generic Call of War, War of Duty games with virtually the same cover configuration on every box. I know that it's hard for FPS games to be unique but it doesn't even look to me like they're trying anymore.

 

[ChrisReid]

It's not just space games either - twice I've been through the PC rack of games at places like Gamestop and Best Buy (the PC rack itself keeps getting smaller and smaller, too) and not noticed one single flight simulator. Literally nothing that you -COULD- play with a Joystick, let alone something that required it.

Joysticks themselves haven't been a standard piece of computer hardware since the '90s, and soon it'll only be speciality stores that carry them (if that's not already the case). Microsoft Flight Sim's regular release schedule stopped in 2006, and the team behind the game has since been laid off. If it gets picked up again, I could very easily see the XBox 360 (or later) as the lead platform next time around.

Also the number of FPS games on the market is simply shocking to me. I've never been an FPS gamer, so I never really paid it much attention, but like, half the shelf was generic Call of War, War of Duty games with virtually the same cover configuration on every box. I know that it's hard for FPS games to be unique but it doesn't even look to me like they're trying anymore.

You'll find that with any popular genre. It was that way with RTS games 6 or 8 years ago, and it was nearly that way with space sims when Wing Commander was most popular. Modern Warfare 2, which came out two months ago, is a very very well done FPS, and it's sold to match - almost 5 million copies on the first day, and over a billion dollars in sales so far (which equates to like 15+ million copies sold).

 

[Jason_Ryock]

Joysticks themselves haven't been a standard piece of computer hardware since the '90s, and soon it'll only be speciality stores that carry them (if that's not already the case). Microsoft Flight Sim's regular release schedule stopped in 2006, and the team behind the game has since been laid off. If it gets picked up again, I could very easily see the XBox 360 (or later) as the lead platform next time around.

I'm just disappointed, I guess. I love using my Joystick, but every time I bust it out I have to think about what game I'm going to play with it, and more often then that that means another run through of WC3, 4, P and SO. And occasionally Starlancer. I did, at one time, have a program that let me use my Joystick in Freelancer, but I've found that game isn't really set up for it.

Most of the other things I would play have serious compatibility issues on modern hardware. I'm not sure we realize how lucky we are that the WC games work on modern Operating Systems. I had to download a brand new installer for X-Wing Alliance, and I still can't select my pilot, and the graphical text is still all wonky (even after applying 'the fix'). X-Wing Vs. TIE Fighter has had some serious graphical issues every time I'm tried to run it.

It's very disappointing.

 

[NinjaLA]

flight sims and turn based strategy games have always been my two favorites, I am a very dissapointed gamer for the last 10 years or so.

 

[Jason_Ryock]

flight sims and turn based strategy games have always been my two favorites, I am a very dissapointed gamer for the last 10 years or so.

I agree completely. Those are two of my favorite genres too.

 

[Mace]

You'll find that with any popular genre. It was that way with RTS games 6 or 8 years ago, and it was nearly that way with space sims when Wing Commander was most popular. Modern Warfare 2, which came out two months ago, is a very very well done FPS, and it's sold to match - almost 5 million copies on the first day, and over a billion dollars in sales so far (which equates to like 15+ million copies sold).

With the difference that each space-sim did not resemble wing commander but was a good game in it's own right(Inferno, MANTIS, Battle for Jacob's Star, The Lucasarts sims.) There is a thing such as "overkill" in the genre, I quitted around the time Blood 2 came out with 3D shooters, and after Red Alert 2 I was done with RTS's also.

But Gauntlet-like games returned with the X-men legends/Marvel UA games, so who knows, Space combat simulators might return again someday.

 

[ChrisReid]

Of course you can nostalgically remember back and recall a dozen awesome space sims from the time, but all space sims weren't created equal. There were space sims that were Wing Commander knockoffs and space sims that just weren't that fun.