New Genre Ideas

[templar1138a]

All over the internet, I see complaints about how terrible the gameplay of today's games are, the blending of style so they start to look the same, and how outdated and terrible trailers for upcoming games have been.

I thought to make this topic partially because I feel Neal Stephenson's Clang is innovating a new type of gameplay with the technology available to game designers, not to mention that real-movement sword fighting is something a good number of gamers have been wanting ever since the Wii was announced.

So, let's all start discussing what new types of genres and gameplay innovations we'd like to see (other than sticking a plug into our brains and playing video games Matrix-style).

Personally, I've wanted to see an open-world RPG that really is open-world. An RPG where if you really want to, you can make your own characters - including NPCs. And instead of playing through just one main plot, the game would let you choose from a set of plot types, and then it would generate events based on what you've done in the world. These plot types could be selected at any time, or even not at all. You wouldn't even have to fight if you didn't want to. You could live the life of a craftsman, a farmer, or even a noble or monarch if you reach that point. You could establish new towns as well as destroy them. You could use negotiation to end wars as well as violence.

Simply put, what I'd like to see is a blending of Elder Scrolls, Minecraft, the Sims, Harvest Moon, and Mount & Blade.

Because of the piecemeal nature of this game, all character dialogue would have to be in text based on templates that are used based on very complicated algorithms. But it would be worth it if I could play a character who goes out on adventures, but is able to come back home and put their feet up with their spouse and children before a dragon attacks the neighboring village and I have to spring into action.

So, what new genres would the rest of you like to see? This thread isn't intended for spewing hate at current games or publishers; there's already plenty of that. Let's just stick to constructive creativity and hope it'll stir the minds of designers who might look at this thread.

 

[veloper]

Well, in the Doom4 thread I had this idea about mixing unkillable enemy types that you need to run and hide from with cannon fodder hordes, to create horror games that are somewhat scary again without sacrificing the gameplay.

Diablo-clones with WASD movement is the logical improvement to the TPL that I've been calling for since Diablo2. Not really a new genre, but a change I want.
Not going to happen though. The only changes that game companies will risk is new graphics.

 

[Colodomoko]

I want a bigger focus on the top down open world games like Pokemon, Zelda and (old) Final Fantasy.

Those games can be made at low cost and have tons of content.

I hear ya man; part of me wishes that Borderlands was being made in that birds-eye-view perspective. To be honest most open world games out there right now seem to chug big time, so making them in birds-eye-view would not only leave room for a lot more content, but will also keep the gameplay nice and smooth. In the case of games being made like this though, I just hope they put in dabs of quality here and there while still having that large amount of quantity in the game.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

How about this: no predetermined gameplay at all? The situation the player has to get through doesn't depend on blowing up shit or his lockpicking skill. If I need to get past a guard I look around for stuff in the environment I can use to do that. That would mean endless variations and would encourage exploration and creative puzzle-solving, and not the player constantly thinking 'right, how can I best use my guns THIS time?' And no this doesn't have to turn it into a point 'n click game, not that there would be anything wrong with that. Developers should stop being lazy and not keep implementing the same tactic to be used multiple times. I don't even want to see the same solution to a puzzle more than once. I like Yahtzee's characterization of an FPS as an adventure game where every puzzle is "use gun on enemy". The same goes for RPGs and other repetitive gameplay genres.

 

[TrevHead]

More arcade games that aren't the standard 2D / 2.5D genres. Vanquish is a good approximation of what I would like to see, as it was very much an arcade game with fast action, complex skill based gameplay and short(ish) in length. And meant to be replayed many times just for he sake of having fast high octane fun. No big story and no 10+ hour gameplay and slower paced gameplay like most modern console games. Ppl play short sessions of MP games so why not singleplayer?

With higher quality NEW 3D games appearing on digital download hopefully a Japanese producer will have the guts to make such a game.


More rail shooters that are havn't been dumbed down for kinnect would be nice like Panzer Dragoon and Sin & Punishment, theres loads of life in that genre, Same goes with flying robots, I cant wait for ZOE HD and ZOE 3

+1 for more top down games

 

[Hero in a half shell]

More games that are games. Stuff inserted into the game, not because it's lore friendly, not because it is necessary to advance the plot, but because it's fun to do. Kinda like the idea behind "gratuitous tank battles" but with even less pretense that what you have made is a serious, sensible work.
Want a level with an infantryman flying around a volcano in a jetpack? Stick it in! Want to give the tanks jetpacks? Stick it in! Want to customise your armies uniform to pink flowers? Give them the options to do that! Let's fight dinosaurs in the Alamo, bobsled down the back of an Eldrich abomination swordfighting dragons, run around a room of politicians with a gun that shoots porridge. The situations for games are endless, so why do they all end up being middle eastern FPS cover-based regenerating-dead-in-three-hits health with Ak47s and instaknifemuderdeathkill?

Forget about achievements and multiplayer balance, forget about unlocks and DLC, push the current gen tech to the limits to give a kickass game, whatever genre, whatever style it doesn't matter, you're making a game, only limited by the boundaries of your imagination for content, so stick it all in there!

 

[DanielBrown]

Stealth racing games á la Killer Cars

That would be pretty awesome...
Don't you dare steal my idea!

 

[Sean Hollyman]

I'd like a game that shapes around your actions, like, the enemies change to match your actions and stuff

 

[Alssadar]

-Some form of cooperative whilst competitive game that allows for players to join up in a vast open world or fight on their own for individual reasons. Basically, make characters have different goals, that are sometimes overlapping, and some that aren't. Something like having one player's goal to kill a bandit lord, while the other player has arrest the bandit lord (Using a special item?). But, nonetheless, they both have to get to the bandit lord, and dying is bad
Possibly create more games without the only two options as 1-life or infinite, and give an allowance of old game "3 lives left" spawn. That way, people can make mistakes, yet still be able to progress--but only for a while longer...mwahaha.

-This isn't a new genre, but something along the lines of Star Wars Battlefront, possibly with steampunk. That would be pretty sweet. Muskets, lancers and clockwork/steamwork golems versus elementals, or some other kind of race.

 

[Ragsnstitches]

Stealth racing games á la Killer Cars

That would be pretty awesome...
Don't you dare steal my idea!

This makes me feel 2 things:

1. Jolly, as that is a hilarious sketch.

2. Angry, because of my ass of a friend who lost my Monty Python Box Set during a move.

OP: I think we can sum up virtually everyones dream game with

"Immersive Open world, with broad spectrum and emergent gameplay, and highly customisable difficulty settings (+ defaults), with well written branching narrative and strong characters that play out harmoniously with the established mechanics in the game"... then slap a well realised, non-stereotypical fantasy or sci-fi or gritty or abstract theme on top of that.

 

[Gatx]

More first person platformers! Mirror's Edge was absolutely brilliant (though its starting to feel like I'm the only person who is of that opinion).

 

[Lugbzurg]

One of the concepts I've been chipping away at is an action/adventure platform-shooter with elements of stealth, strategy, sandbox, and RPG off to the side.

Then, there's also a first-person shooter I've been wanting to make recently that one might describe as tying Serious Sam, Half-Life, Conker's Bad Fur Day, and Monster Party together. It was something like this...

One day, the craziest videogame idea I had ever thought of popped into my head during one of those "Don't do Drugs" presentations in high school. That should give you some context. It's called "Noble". And it makes no sense at all.

Reginald Noble awakes from his chambers and strolls around the military base. He is the only one dressed casually, and the only one in the entire complex speaking informally.

When war breaks out, Reggie breaks out his three-headed chaingun and charges out against the enemy forces in a brown/gray environment, with plenty of cover, and some extra second gun (like a shotgun, or something). It all seems like your average cookie-cutter shooter for a few minutes, until the freaky monsters start showing up.

Before you know it, you're fighting elephants with machine guns, pixelated things inside a 16-Bit dimension and battling flying textbooks that breathe fire and horrible flesh-hungry food in Mr. Noble's old high school.

It plays in a very oldschool style, reminiscent of Serious Sam, Duke Nukem or Quake. You've got weapons that shoot things like chickens and fireworks. Mines come in the form of wet cats, Reginald's melee attack is a headbutt and you gain health by chasing down anthropomorphic food that screams and runs away when it sees you (mostly doughnuts with eyeballs), all like the cheese or the key in Conker's Bad Fur Day.

Did I mention this game makes absolutely no sense and solely exists to be as ridiculous as possible?

I also wanna make a game about a hamburger swinging around physics-based gameplay levels, grabbing food to make himself a bigger burger. But, you'd have to watch out, because, getting taller and taller might present problems. I'd call it "Mr. Burg".

 

[Olas]

A shooter where you play as Han Solo. Seriously developers, stop making whatever other shitty starwars games you're working on and make a fucking Han Solo shooting game. No, you don't get to play as Luke, or some other retconned Jedi nobody's heard of, just Han Fucking Solo. Why the hell has nobody made this yet? Why do we have 20 Star Wars spaceship games, but not this one? Why do we have even one pod-racing game, and not 15 sequels to this instead? Why are there any other video games at all?!
Somebody has to make this. Somebody go make it now!

Kudos if you know where I stole this idea.


(Greedo quicktime event, if Greedo shoots first YOU DIE!)

 

[Olas]

Double post: ignore. ^ But don't ignore the post up above. ^

 

[Emiscary]

Apocalyptic Sandbox RPGs.

By which I mean, build a sandbox RPG wherein literally *everything* can be destroyed. EVERYTHING (animate, inanimate, natural, artificial). Then empower the PC to a degree typically only seen in "god games" like Black & White, and set them loose into the world.

Picture say a version of Fallout 3 wherein you could atomize Tenpenny Tower with your heat vision.

Or a version of Skyrim where you could topple the throat of the world onto Whiterun with your whirlwind breath.

(In the above two above scenarios I'm imagining the PC as an unlicensed knockoff of Superman.)

 

[Klumpfot]

I'd like to see a game in a fantasy setting that doesn't involve elves, dwarves, dragons or even humans. An entirely new kind of world, with gameplay that focuses on exploration and freedom of movement. With as little English (or any human language) as possible.

I will never see anything like it, but it would be neat!