Press Start to start... Why?

[ColeusRattus]

Now did everyone else wonder why on earth games still have the "press start" prompt? I understand it's use on old cartridge based games that have no menu, so that the actual game doesn't start before you're ready, possibly causing you to lose a precious life, but what are they here for nowadays?

I for one find it quite tiring that starting procedures on modern console games look like this:

1) Start game
2) Press Start to "really" start the game
3) Press a button to confirm the "don't turn off while HDD light is flashing notification" and continue starting the game
4) Press a button to confirm logging in into some kind of network function
5) Press a button to confirm the availability of lack of new content for the game to continue starting the game

That's especially tiring if there are considerable loading times between the different prompts.

So why haven't games omitted that structure generally and just start witht he main menu and load everything when it's appropriate to do so, or reduce it to one single splash screen that does all of those things mentioned at once?

 

[ColeusRattus]

But it serves no purpose. Why should we not question it.

 

[endtherapture]

I don't see why PC games have "press any button to Start" nowadays, can't we just go straight into the main menu?

 

[TehCookie]

It's a secret loading screen. It could also be consider relic from the past, kind of like how the icon to save in word is a floppy disc even though no one uses them anymore.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

And when the hell have you ever actually had to press "start" to start. I remember even back in the NES days you could just press "A" and it had the same effect!

 

[Spambot 3000]

There's three reasons why the 'press start' prompt exists in my theory:

1: Tradition
2: So when you first buy the game, you stuff it in the console and load it up, the 'press Start' prompt appears so you can have a look at the main menu design layout and think 'coolsies' before getting into the ACTUAL menu and gettin' down to business. Of course, it becomes rather pointless the second and so on times you play the game ...
3: It just gets put there, it has virtually no use, so people don't question it.

 

[dimensional]

Its a legal requirement like lives in a Mario game.

I have thought about this as well and I have no real idea the only thing I can possibly think of is for running it for advertisements in shops basically the game goes play me, play me, oh no ones playing me ill show some cool stuff so everyone can see what they are missing out on but if this happened while you were actually trying to play the game it could be a little annoying so the press start just serves as a distinction between the two. One is play mode other is advertisement mode.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Because the devs are old and they just churn out what they know, same as the level per level design, loading screens, checkpoints, confirmation questions, message prompts, ...

It is just bad design, they always made it like this so they don't think it needs to move ahead and stagnation is always a bad idea.
Meanwhile some indie devs are trying really great stuff, some have a playable main menu, or make it a testbed for units, some put you directly into the game but keep the environment safe until you move, continuity, no game interruptions, fluid saves, no replaying, one option exits, ... those old timers have a bunch to learn.

 

[putowtin]

because we don't know what to do without it?

EDIT: Oh! I've come up with a reason (huzzah!)

Sometimes I switch on my xbox and, knowing that it takes a couple of minutes to load a game, I'll go and get a drink. If it auto loaded to my last save I might get shot or stabbed or something equally stupid whilst I wasn't in the room!

 

[viranimus]

Never bothered me, and even to day it actually makes sense. Downloading patches, save file manqagement, control options, difficulty options, setting up the game is still part of playing the game, so press start to start is fine.

What confuses me is why press start to start which will work, but typically X (or equiv) works at the same time. So why specify one button when there is another button less than 1/8th of an inch away from one that works, and your natural state will be resting over the main buttons anyway.

 

[Fat Hippo]

It's just the way things are done and it works fine. Don't mess with it

I hate these new captchas: next they'll be asking us to paraphrase an article

Hey, at least they're a lot easier to read, i definitely think they're better than the old ones.

 

[RJ 17]

Now did everyone else wonder why on earth games still have the "press start" prompt? I understand it's use on old cartridge based games that have no menu, so that the actual game doesn't start before you're ready, possibly causing you to lose a precious life, but what are they here for nowadays?

I for one find it quite tiring that starting procedures on modern console games look like this:

1) Start game
2) Press Start to "really" start the game
3) Press a button to confirm the "don't turn off while HDD light is flashing notification" and continue starting the game
4) Press a button to confirm logging in into some kind of network function
5) Press a button to confirm the availability of lack of new content for the game to continue starting the game

That's especially tiring if there are considerable loading times between the different prompts.

So why haven't games omitted that structure generally and just start witht he main menu and load everything when it's appropriate to do so, or reduce it to one single splash screen that does all of those things mentioned at once?

Most games have some sort of loading/intro movie if you just sit there and wait at the "press start to start" screen. At least I always just sit there staring at the screen for such a movie every time I pop in a new game. This movie is general followed by a gameplay preview, or it just cuts back to the press start to start screen. So I've always thought of the start screens as "afk checks"...well, away from controller, anyways. And the intro movies function as screen savers so the start menu doesn't burn into your tv screen.

Least that's how I've always viewed it.

 

[EHKOS]

It shows the title screen, it's there for tradition. I still press X and it works on most games. I don't mind it, although I do mind the network function. I'M A SINGLE PLAYER GAMER!

 

[MiracleOfSound]

1. Tradition

2. It feels nice, like you're partaking in a new beginning

3. It gives an excuse for an extra title screen

4. Pacing. For me the 'press start' helps in a little way to build the expectation when beginning

 

[MiracleOfSound]

1) Start game
2) Press Start to "really" start the game
3) Press a button to confirm the "don't turn off while HDD light is flashing notification" and continue starting the game
4) Press a button to confirm logging in into some kind of network function
5) Press a button to confirm the availability of lack of new content for the game to continue starting the game

None of that bothers me, what gets on my nerves is games that make you enter 3 or 4 fucking XBL codes before you can play them.

 

[wintercoat]

The opening sequence for most games will only play off of the title screen, which is usually the 'press start' screen.

 

[DustyDrB]

1) Start game
2) Press Start to "really" start the game
3) Press a button to confirm the "don't turn off while HDD light is flashing notification" and continue starting the game
4) Press a button to confirm logging in into some kind of network function
5) Press a button to confirm the availability of lack of new content for the game to continue starting the game

None of that bothers me, what gets on my nerves is games that make you enter 3 or 4 fucking XBL codes before you can play them.

I think I would get a Kinect if they added a speech to text function that worked with those damn codes.

 

[Veldt Falsetto]

The Simpsons Game gives you an achievement for pressing start.

YES! Finally did it, after hours of slaving away that 5G is mine!