🚀 go-pugleaf

>>       In a summer issue of Interaction, an author wrote that most experts
>>believe that computer games are going in the direction that Roberta William's
>>decides to take it. Why, isn't that the most ridiculous thing you've every 
>>heard? Are there any "experts" who share that idea?
>
>Definitely ridiculous, particularly since 
>
>(1)  Sierra hasn't done anything innovative in years, as far as I can
>tell [but I'm not a big Sierra fan... feel free to correct me!].

Hey, Dynamix puts out some good stuff.  Aces of the Pacific, and Front
Page Sports Football, were pretty cool games.  I'd place them second to
Origin in terms of 'innovation'. 

>
>(2)  If you had to pick a _single_ company that was leading the way in 
>the past couple of years it would have to be Origin.  And there are plenty
>of innovative things coming from other companies as well.
>
>Having said that, it's not clear from what you described, William, precisely
>what the author meant.  Would you care to elaborate?  Did he give any 
>examples?
>
>[Invitation:  anyone want to fire off a prediction or two on what new
>developments / trends we're likely to see in computer gaming over the next
>year or two?  Mine:
>
>--SVGA becomes relatively frequent on "hot" games by Christmas '94.

Naw, SVGA won't take off as long as ISA is standard.  Maybe for some static
images, like what Legend is doing. 

>--Science-fiction adventure and role-playing games become much more frequent.

Why's that?  I certainly haven't seen increased intrest in those type of games,
in fact, I would say it's been decreasing.  That's only my opinion.  Though,
I did like Serpent Isle. 

>--Role-playing games with detailed, formatted worlds, a la Darklands or
>  Pirates!, become more common.
>--Someone makes a big hit with a graphic adventure game that has genuine
>  sophistication in its text and puzzles.  [hmm, maybe wishful thinking]

Awe, haven't played Monkey Island 1 & 2, or Indy have ya? :)  Actually, I 
think LucasArts is the leader in this category, now that Sierra seems to
of lost its luster. 

>--3DO, meanwhile, flops due to insufficient software.  (It would be neat
>  to be wrong about this one, though.

-- Pentium + PCI/VESA Local Buses bring the ability to do some GOOD texture
mapped polygons to the PC arena.  (I've heard Strike Commander does this, but
I haven't seen it.)

-- Sid Miers, Westwood Associates, Origin, and LucasArts rule the industry. :)

-- Unless Sierra gets its act together, it'll fall into the same pit as 
Infocom.

-- GUS becomes standard! :)


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