Comments on: Modern vs Retro (MSNBC Lays Down the Smack) http://retroblique.com/modern-vs-retro-msnbc-lays-down-the-smack/ Taking retrogamers to the next level. Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:51:30 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Retroblique http://retroblique.com/modern-vs-retro-msnbc-lays-down-the-smack/#comment-117 Retroblique Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:50:10 +0000 http://retroblique.com/?p=178#comment-117 As soon as I saw that Shadow of the Colossus screenshot roll up, I was ready to unleash a counterattack, until I noticed he was using it to champion modern games. Still, I guess it just goes to show that everyone draws a different dividing line (if any) between modern and retro -- be it technological, chronological or based purely on aesthetics. Either way it never fails to inspire some interesting debates. As soon as I saw that Shadow of the Colossus screenshot roll up, I was ready to unleash a counterattack, until I noticed he was using it to champion modern games. Still, I guess it just goes to show that everyone draws a different dividing line (if any) between modern and retro — be it technological, chronological or based purely on aesthetics. Either way it never fails to inspire some interesting debates.

]]> By: gajderowhat http://retroblique.com/modern-vs-retro-msnbc-lays-down-the-smack/#comment-116 gajderowhat Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:23:06 +0000 http://retroblique.com/?p=178#comment-116 Excellent. I think Blake Snow's missed the point on a lot of the arguments he makes, mostly because he lumps all games made in the past, I don't know, five to ten years or so in together and calls them "modern games" and puts these up against all games made prior to the arbitrary cut-off date. The problem with that thinking is that there are a lot of different design philosophies at work in the modern games industry, just as there were in the past. So, for example, I did sort of a double-take when I saw that, in the same feature, he extols the virtues of games like Crysis Warhead and COD4 at the same time as he praises Shadow of the Colossus. Those games come from two completely different schools of design, and I'd argue that Shadow actually has much more in common with retro games than it does with Crysis or COD4. And yes, most of his points are inevitably true--it's years later and technology has advanced, so I guess it makes sense that graphics and sound are better. I'll look forward to the follow-up, though. On a side note, the UK/Eurotax on games is no fun at all. Last summer I was in France and bought a "French" (actually just multilingual) copy of Final Fantasy III, and lo and behold, the only thing changed about the price was the symbol out front: rather than $30, I paid €30. It made a nice souvenir, and I do like the more expressive cover art of the European version, but it was my first experience buying a retail game in Europe, and I was kind of surprised to be paying so much more. Excellent. I think Blake Snow's missed the point on a lot of the arguments he makes, mostly because he lumps all games made in the past, I don't know, five to ten years or so in together and calls them "modern games" and puts these up against all games made prior to the arbitrary cut-off date. The problem with that thinking is that there are a lot of different design philosophies at work in the modern games industry, just as there were in the past. So, for example, I did sort of a double-take when I saw that, in the same feature, he extols the virtues of games like Crysis Warhead and COD4 at the same time as he praises Shadow of the Colossus. Those games come from two completely different schools of design, and I'd argue that Shadow actually has much more in common with retro games than it does with Crysis or COD4. And yes, most of his points are inevitably true–it's years later and technology has advanced, so I guess it makes sense that graphics and sound are better. I'll look forward to the follow-up, though.

On a side note, the UK/Eurotax on games is no fun at all. Last summer I was in France and bought a "French" (actually just multilingual) copy of Final Fantasy III, and lo and behold, the only thing changed about the price was the symbol out front: rather than $30, I paid €30. It made a nice souvenir, and I do like the more expressive cover art of the European version, but it was my first experience buying a retail game in Europe, and I was kind of surprised to be paying so much more.

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