Tell who what? Lol we were talking about reading the game manual and you mentioned Yoshimitsu, so I brought up Kazuya’s sneaker collection, because that was one of those things from his character bio in the manual.
The literal first thing you do is get stuck in a room that you can’t get out of until you learn to use the morph ball. Tutorial as gameplay was innovative.
In those days, developers largely didn’t know the concept of player training through gameplay and had to resort to text dump tutorials (or worse, tutorial videos (where applicable)).
This was simply not a huge thing back then. Remember that the only way for most people to experience on-demand video back then was via VHS and the TV, and most households only had one TV that was presumably being used to play the game. To watch a tutorial video, you would have had to watch it on TV at a specific time, or you would have had to buy or rent said guide, stop your game, connect your VHS, and watch it. I can find references to game guide videos people sold in magazines, but these don’t seem to have been very popular. Most people just read the manual, which isn’t that crazy of a concept. All games before video games came with rule books so why shouldn’t these?
I meant games that had tutorial videos built into them. Stuff like Syphon Filter; a rushed, poorly voiced video that lists your controls and tosses you into the mission. The player is told what does what and isn’t given a chance to learn how to interact with the world.
Soul Reaver 1’s first 20 minutes is what every game should be aiming for. You learn how to navigate the world, how health and the spectral/material realms work, how to solve the combat puzzles, and more importantly, how those systems interact; then you’re on your own. If a game needs the help of extrenal resources to convey such basic information, it’s a failure of game design. Not necessarily out of incompetence but because game design principles hadn’t evolved to that point.
I’m not against external (including physical) resources, iff they’re used in a clever way. Shenzhen IO has a thirty-page manual themed as actual technical documentation about the electronics used in the game. Through this, the manual becomes part of the game. Same for Keep talking and nobody explodes. Volo’s Guide to Baldur’s Gate is a fantastic example of presenting supplemental information that is good to know but isn’t a roadblock in its absence. If a manual improves the game experience, it’s good material. If it’s necessary to make a game playable, it’s bad design.
Another good example for the good implementation of external ressources into a game is EXAPUNKS, a hacking game in which the game mechanics are conveyed through 3 issues of a magazine - I really liked that one. (it’s another Zachtronics game, like Shenzen IO)
In those days tutorials weren’t a thing. Games came with manuals that you were expected to actually read.
When literacy was an expected trait and not a rare one.
And they were cool! And it was better that way! And get off my lawn!
I miss maps. I still have the map of Skyrim and various GTAs on the wall in my old room at my parent’s
oh man those gorgeous maps and manuals I think I am going to cry. Sometimes I would take them to the school to read and daydream about the game.
that car drive back home when you’re reading the game manual, oof the anticipation.
I took some of the character bio’s a bit far. For a while I used to believe that Yoshimitsu from Tekken was a real person.
I remember that Kazuya liked sneakers
well when you meet her in person, you can tell her that
Pardon?
you can tell her that, when you her in person meet well
Tell who what? Lol we were talking about reading the game manual and you mentioned Yoshimitsu, so I brought up Kazuya’s sneaker collection, because that was one of those things from his character bio in the manual.
I don’t know what woman you’re referring to…
when her in person meet well, tell her that you can
Lol ok bud.
Yup…
RTFM
The literal first thing you do is get stuck in a room that you can’t get out of until you learn to use the morph ball. Tutorial as gameplay was innovative.
I’m getting flashbacks to NES Rambo seeing your comment. First ragequit, fuck that game lol
deleted by creator
In those days, developers largely didn’t know the concept of player training through gameplay and had to resort to text dump tutorials (or worse, tutorial videos (where applicable)).
? You start in a room you where right leads to ledge you can’t jump to, and left takes you over a pyramid with a power up and small hole.
It was gameplay teaching you.
Mind, this is the only such moment. The rest of this game is fucking bullshit that ate my childhood
This was simply not a huge thing back then. Remember that the only way for most people to experience on-demand video back then was via VHS and the TV, and most households only had one TV that was presumably being used to play the game. To watch a tutorial video, you would have had to watch it on TV at a specific time, or you would have had to buy or rent said guide, stop your game, connect your VHS, and watch it. I can find references to game guide videos people sold in magazines, but these don’t seem to have been very popular. Most people just read the manual, which isn’t that crazy of a concept. All games before video games came with rule books so why shouldn’t these?
I meant games that had tutorial videos built into them. Stuff like Syphon Filter; a rushed, poorly voiced video that lists your controls and tosses you into the mission. The player is told what does what and isn’t given a chance to learn how to interact with the world.
Soul Reaver 1’s first 20 minutes is what every game should be aiming for. You learn how to navigate the world, how health and the spectral/material realms work, how to solve the combat puzzles, and more importantly, how those systems interact; then you’re on your own. If a game needs the help of extrenal resources to convey such basic information, it’s a failure of game design. Not necessarily out of incompetence but because game design principles hadn’t evolved to that point.
I’m not against external (including physical) resources, iff they’re used in a clever way. Shenzhen IO has a thirty-page manual themed as actual technical documentation about the electronics used in the game. Through this, the manual becomes part of the game. Same for Keep talking and nobody explodes. Volo’s Guide to Baldur’s Gate is a fantastic example of presenting supplemental information that is good to know but isn’t a roadblock in its absence. If a manual improves the game experience, it’s good material. If it’s necessary to make a game playable, it’s bad design.
Another good example for the good implementation of external ressources into a game is EXAPUNKS, a hacking game in which the game mechanics are conveyed through 3 issues of a magazine - I really liked that one. (it’s another Zachtronics game, like Shenzen IO)
I know arcanum has a manual that is themed like a late 1800’s style research book, which is really cool.
Deus ex HR, what a pain
Tutorial videos with your new car, sure, not with a videogame.