Modern gaming classics.

[Hyena Dandy]

Inspired by my rambly post in the 'will the 360/ps3 be vintage' thread, I wondered what people's thoughts were on what games from the last generation will be considered 'classics' 20-30 years from now.

The thing is, this isn't necessarily a question of what games are the 'best', or my favorite, but which ones have 'staying power', and will be considered classics the way Super Mario Brothers is.

Off the top of my head I'd guess Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and Call of Duty 4. I'm starting to doubt that the Halo games will, since they seem to be fading from cultural relevance far too quickly.

[jackfaire]

I hope games like Primal, Eternal Darkness, and Shadows of Memory become classics but sadly people seem to care more about arcade games than games that balance game play and story.

To me any game where it's mostly about the game play may as well be an arcade game.

[Kaylyn]

I'd vote for Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect for sure. And perhaps Portal? And if we can nominate modern PC games, I'd say the Forgotten Realms games (Neverwinter Nights/Baldur's Gate/Icewind Dale/etc).

For me it's gotta have an ongoing storyline, setting, or characters that can carry through multiple games or reboots, or a moddable game with a strong community to come up with new content. Hell, for that matter, let's throw in the Sims for that very reason!

[Hyena Dandy]

What's wrong about arcade games?

And I don't think gameplay needs to be 'balanced' with a story. Gameplay and story should be intertwined.

[Nyoibo]

I've been enjoying The Witcher for a while.

[Ginger Tea]

Some games have the story line over ballancing the scale, so you get a game that is nothing more than dragons lair but in full 3D cut scenes vs traditional hand drawn animation.

You don't always need a story to drive a game forwards, but also you don't want gamers to feel like their watching an interactive movie.

Halo didn't bring much to the FPS genre that I'm aware, perhaps the stand still to heal aspect was first used there, but now nearly every game uses it, even those touting themselves as realistic.
But so long as Red Vs Blue is made, Halo, a 10ish year old game, is still relevant (even though they use Reach or some other version to film).
Arcade style FPS ie Doom, Unreal Tournament and Quake 3, I don't mind the walk over a medi kit and get healed, when you get that in a game that is trying so hard to be realistic as possible, then it takes me out of it.

[lordlundar]

The recent Lego Titles (well, the pre- Indiana Jones 2 ones at any rate) must be on this list. There's so few family games lately that anyone can play and have fun with that this series really stands out.

[jackfaire]

What's wrong about arcade games?

And I don't think gameplay needs to be 'balanced' with a story. Gameplay and story should be intertwined.

Honestly nothing. And that's what I meant by balanced.

For example I play a game where I get this big whole story and cut scene in the beginning of the game and then nothing. The whole rest of the game I don't get anything else no clues, hints, furthering of the story just play through and figure out what your supposed to do by trial and error.

The reason the Arcade Game effect bothers me is I buy a game that has been labeled an RPG and then find out it's because they have a character you play and he was given a back story. That's it. There is no actual roleplaying element. It's 90% gameplay from then on out.

If you want to market a game like that to me fine but be honest about it so if I am not in the mood for that kind of game I don't rent it.

[Salted Grump]

In my mind, a 'modern classic' needs that proper balance between story, gameplay, cult-classic, and mainstream success. So, in no particular order, my personal picks for games that'll last longer than average, without being flogged by soulless publishers. (Activision/Blizzard, I'm looking at you);

Metroid Prime Trilogy (GCN/Wii)
The Witcher, 1 and 2 (PC)
Primal (PS2)
Skies of Arcadia: Legends (GCN)
Shadow Hearts Trilogy (PS2)
Demon's Souls (PS3)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Multiplatform)
Red Faction Guerilla and Red Faction Armageddon (Multiplatform)
Okami (PS2/Wii)

[Gravekeeper]

Off the top of my head I'd guess Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and Call of Duty 4. I'm starting to doubt that the Halo games will, since they seem to be fading from cultural relevance far too quickly.

Mass Effect, yes.
Fallout 3, no. Not that it isn't a good game, its just not what you would call inventive or original. It felt and played like an Oblivion mod.
Call of Duty, not in the slightest. CoD is the game equivilent of a summer blockbuster movie. Big, flashy, but full of absolutely nothing of substance. Plus they'll be no point in going back and playing CoD4 because you'll have Call of Duty 11. Its like the Saw or Final Destination of the games industry.

Halo is similar. Halo baffles me completely. I can only assume its popularity is because it was the first big FPS that console gamers played. Because by PC FPS standards it was a generic joke. If it had come out on the PC like it was originally suppose to, it would have faded away like a stale fart. In fact the PC release of the first game did fade away like a stale fart.

But back to the topic on hand. Portal, definately. Dragon Age? Hmm....1 maybe, 2 not a chance. Oblivion most definately. Metroid Prime for sure.

The Witcher, I don't know. 1 wasn't that good. I enjoyed it immensely, but as a game is was pretty clunky ( Not to mention embarrassingly sexist ). I think it just hit the right note in North America because it was a European game that wasn't afraid to actually treat the player like an adult. Something North American games rarely do and Japanese games frankly never do.

Half-Life 2, definately though.

[Fire_on_High]

Mass Effect. absolutely. Oblivion, absolutely. Both of those games have ultra dedicated fans and have the overall appeal to "stick in your head" and be something you'll come back to, again and again.

Metroid Prime trilogy? Absolutely, and quite possibly the GBA one that went along with it, that I'm blanking on the name of. The latest Metroid tho? Most of the true fans already deny its existence.

I think WoW will have an energetic emulation scene the way EQ does, of players who liked a certain era and run emu servers accordingly. I think if it can be managed, so will most of the other MMO's that make it for more than a year....there will always be a diehard fan base that refuses to let go.

Also, to bring one series most here haven't heard of into it, Touhou.

[Andara Bledin]

Also, to bring one series most here haven't heard of into it, Touhou.

4chan, Gelbooru, etc will keep Touhou alive long past anyone ever remembering that there was a game.

^-.-^

[Fire_on_High]

You might well be onto something there.

Reminds me of a horrifying discussion I had with a friend...his little brother broke his leg badly and was laid up for a bit, so he loaned him a stack of dvds to occupy his time while he healed.

He watches one of them and asks..."Who's the chick?"...the movie was Advent Children.

Everyone over 25 gasped in collective horror when he told the story to us.

[Andara Bledin]

He watches one of them and asks..."Who's the chick?"...the movie was Advent Children.

I'm not big on the franchise, but at least I knew who most of the main players were. But the physics in that thing were so outright ridiculous that I spent most of the time watching it in mocking it.

^-.-^