Regardless of what people say about Kotaku, I still find it very interesting to read. Among the articles I read recently while browsing the site was the news of Shigeru Miyamoto filing this patent. Basically, this “Kind Code” allows for players to choose jump out of the action and have a video of the game character automatically playing for them. From there, the player can jump in at any time with the press of a button. However, saving is not allowed in this mode. Furthermore, a “scene menu” allows the player to directly skip to a scene.
This opens up gaming to whole new ways of playing! Perhaps the days of grinding in RPGs are over? Or maybe tedious dungeons are a thing of the past? I know there have been plenty of video games that I’ve played through just for the sake of beating it; for those times, I think it would have been handy for someone to do all the dirty work for me.
This could potentially bring “casual gamers” to playing games they would have traditionally not played for several reasons. Now they can simply view the in-game hint system for parts they would have struggled at and put the controller down.
Are games turning into just big interactive movie? Several people bashed Final Fantasy XII on its innovative battle system, but all it did was take out the tediousness of selecting the “Attack” button hundreds of times.
It’s not like there aren’t enough ways to check how to get through a puzzle. There might be several FAQs on the internet or even a YouTube video of it. And games as of lately have been getting progressively easier, in my opinion. Some games already have a built-in hint system that points players in the right direction. (HAY LISTEN)
I think there’s something satisfying in beating the game yourself. Just like beating a game without looking at a guide, there’s that self-gratification you get from achieving something on your own. Maybe this will be what seperates the truly “hardcore” gamers from the “casual” crowd?
Could this revolutionize gaming as we know it, or will it just be another gimmick? Will people love or hate this? Only time can tell.
Filed under: Second Opinions
For some reason, I find myself agreeing with you entirely. I mean, everyone knows that I really don’t like hard games, but if you let me almost CHEAT like that then what is the point of playing it at all? I would just spend my days watching some videos on Youtube of it instead and say that I’ve played it. Honestly, I don’t think this “kind code” thing would be good…nobody wants EVERYTHING handed to them on a silver platter. There must be some challenge in order to make stuff more satisfying! (ie. feel a sense of accomplishment in beating a hard game by yourself)
LONG COMMENT IS LONG, and keep up the nice posts! I love opinion posts.
First impression of it makes me think it’s kinda stupid. Granted, if they had a hint system for a game where you unlocked it by doing something and it showed you an example of how you could do it (IE: SotN’s “Tactics” in the store menu), it’d be cool.
But to basically film the entire game like a video and let the player watch it at any time? It IS worse than Final Fantasy XII, because you at least had to set-up the gambits and such for that game. But to make a game like Super Mario Bros. play itself? …What’s the point?
I personally would hate if this became the new accepted style of playing video games. Don’t get me wrong, I do think at times games can be tedious. With many of the RPGs I’ve played, I get through most battles by quickly tapping the A (attack) button. Or there are times that I have to backtrack and find it frustrating.
But at the same time, I can’t stand not having control of things. I actually find it hard to get into the Star Ocean games just for the fact that I don’t have full control over every single character at all times (I might be wrong, I haven’t played the games all too much). And I’m not really into FFXII’s gambit system at all. I know it’s ME who’s setting up the gambits, but I still don’t feel like it’s fully under my control unless I’m the one setting up the action every single turn. So I personally wouldn’t use the patent if it came out.
But if this patent comes through, I think it’ll ruin things for the game world as well. How can someone say they beat a game if they didn’t personally do everything through it? If someone brags about beating so many games, you’ll wonder if they used the patent to get through it. I admit I’ve used a faq here and there if I absolutely can’t figure something out or to find hidden things AFTER I’ve beaten the game, but I can’t stand cheating (using codes or taking advantage of glitches) at all. It makes things unfair for those who don’t cheat. At least with faqs, I’m still the one playing the game. And this patent, though it might be universally accepted in the future, would be cheating.
So yea.. I vote NO!! =)
We all know that Nintendo’s trying to appeal to the casual market, but I’d almost say that the “Kind Code” was going too far. Sure, it probably isn’t MANDATORY to use the “Kind Code” in a game, but it still detracts from the actual game.
“From there, the player can jump in at any time with the press of a button. However, saving is not allowed in this mode. Furthermore, a “scene menu” allows the player to directly skip to a scene.”
I’m pretty sure that you guys are getting my point. While this seems preposterous, I’d almost say that this would be no more harmful than a GameFAQs walkthrough, or a Prima Strategy Guide. I’m pretty sure gamers will quickly grow used to this “Kind Code”
I’m sort of confusing myself in my own mess of ideas, but I am leaning to the “disagree” side of the “Kind Code” spectrum. While I do believe it is great that casual and young gamers will be able to experience games like Zelda without giving up half-way through due to difficult puzzles, and while I do believe that the “Kind Code” will allow those gamers to find their own ways to play the game, I feel that, as a gamer, I am obligated to say that these gamers shouldn’t be given the chance to “give up” and use the “Kind Code”. After all, overcoming challenges in a video game is the best part of playing them. :)