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by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/23/2009, 10:41am PDT |
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While I do buy into Billy Mitchell's argument that "it's in the genes" I have to wonder what makes him less dominant at recent games, like Pac-Man C.E. A different skill set maybe?
The lack of 'space' they had to work with ended up impacting design, I think: in Donkey Kong, the barrels descend the ladders based on input from what you're doing with the joystick, right? Nobody would ever code that way today, because they simply wouldn't have to fit everything in, say, 16K. They could write object-oriented routines that handled barrel behavior, customizing that stuff for game level, and a dozen other conditions.
I could have played Donkey Kong for the next 40 years and never deduced that player input influenced enemy behavior. It simply would not have occured to me. In fact, having a computer science background that started in the 90s, it would have been less likely to occur to me, because I've never had to program in an environment where resources were really limited.
I think the flash of brillance the guys in CG had was that they were always asking themselves, "if I do this, how does the game respond?" It would never have occured to me to build a mushroom wall along the sides of the screen in Centipede so the spider can't get you. Never would have occured to me to head straight at a monster in Pac-Man, with the result that the monster veers off at the last second. Also, growing up, both quarters and arcade time were precious - I didn't have an arcade within bicycle distance, so I had to get my folks to take me to one, and then I had to come up with money to play, and so on. Wasting a quarter to figure out a game's secrets wasn't something I was ready to do. I would guess that some of the guys in CG had access to machines in freeplay where they could experiment.
the dark and gritty...Ice Cream Jonsey! |
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Chasing Ghosts (a documentary) is playing on Showtime by Ice Cream Jonsey 12/04/2008, 12:08pm PST 
It's OK by Fussbett 12/10/2008, 2:56pm PST
Also, Todd Rogers by Fussbett 12/10/2008, 4:36pm PST
Also also, my favourite quote... by Fussbett 01/11/2009, 2:04am PST
Re: Chasing Ghosts (a documentary) is playing on Showtime by I need clarification 12/10/2008, 7:10pm PST
I just watched this. by bink 03/22/2009, 7:15am PDT
Re: I just watched this. by Quétinbec 03/23/2009, 12:09am PDT
QB versus facts: facts win, QB declares self victor by "common" "sense" TKO NT by Zsenitan 03/23/2009, 5:35am PDT
Re: I just watched this. by Mischief Maker 03/23/2009, 5:36am PDT
You either have it, or you don't. by bink 03/23/2009, 6:07am PDT
Re: You either have it, or you don't. by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/23/2009, 10:41am PDT
Why do you avoid mentioning that you aren't borderline autistic? by Fussbett 03/23/2009, 7:30pm PDT
I love all these "King of Kong" followups by motherfuckerfoodeater 03/23/2009, 7:56pm PDT
kids in the hall sarcastic guy.flv NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 03/23/2009, 8:59pm PDT
No, I'm serious by motherfuckerfoodeater 03/24/2009, 2:37pm PDT
I'm totally serious too. I REEEEEALLY MEEEEAN IT. NT by Kids in the Hall Sarcastic Guy 03/24/2009, 3:32pm PDT
he's got a disease which makes him talk like that NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 03/24/2009, 3:47pm PDT
I will personally guarantee you that zota visits and posts in this thread. NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/23/2009, 9:45pm PDT
Doubtful. Several of his points are laughably bad. NT by Souffle of Pain 03/24/2009, 3:03pm PDT
I think boredom and moving on plays more of a weeding out factor than skill NT by FABIO 03/23/2009, 8:55am PDT
The boredom of getting your ass kicked. You haven't put on weight, have you Fab? NT by Quétinbec 03/23/2009, 4:45pm PDT
It's both, but Chasing Ghosts has a part where... by bink 03/24/2009, 8:51am PDT
Or, it could be that most games are very much like some other games. NT by Fullofkittens 03/24/2009, 3:26pm PDT
Chasing Ghosts update: The older Berzerk mentor is a pedophile by FSBT 04/20/2013, 1:06pm PDT
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