Ultimate video game

[thejboy88]

Hello everyone.

Throughout various forms of media there have been specific examples of each which are held as "untouchable", "revolutionary" or simply "the best of the medium". Examples like this would be Citizen Kane for films, Beethoven's Fifth for music and the works of Shakespeare for literature.

My question for everyone is this:

"Do you think video games will ever produce an example of their number which could one day be counted amongst these great names?"

If you think this has already happened please tell my which you think it is and why. If not, then tell me what you think such a game might be like (either through story or gameplay mechanics).

After all, once upon a time, film was not considered an artistic medium before the rise of specific cases such as "Kane", so it is really important to think of games which could do the same for this medium.

P.S. I am really looking forward to reading what you could come up with.

 

[Amerikhan]

I'm just gonna throw Ocarina of Time out there right now. It had good gameplay, a plot that sucked you in, NPCs with personality [the chick who gives you the horse and the assorted NPCs in the various areas] and a pretty good length to it. Replay value was also high because running around the countryside on a horse, bow and arrowing stuff, never gets old - ever.

 

[Subzerowings]

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (on PC).
Why? Because I'm still playing it.
Thanks to modding, the game could possibly go on and improve for forever (i.e. until TES V is released).
It's still an awesome game without mods though, only really buggy.

 

[Benmonkey7]

Duke Nukem: Forever. Oh yeah. Too bad that joke lost its meaning.

 

[Rewold]

Beatles made other music than orchestral also art. It will happen to video games also someday though the industry is still young. We will have to wait for a video game that changes the way we live our lives.

Come on Kojima do it already.

 

[theComposer]

Games aren't there yet and won't be for a long time still, but it will happen once games and their developers realize their full potential as an artistic medium.

EDIT: Just remembered reading this not long ago: http://wii.ign.com/articles/103/1033302p1.html
I don't necessarily agree with it, as some of the parallels are arbitrary and I think that gaming is still on its way up, but an interesting read nonetheless.

 

[Sixcess]

According to Metacritic the top 3 most universally acclaimed games are GTA IV, Super Mario Galaxy and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. I wouldn't describe any of them as art or timeless classics.

Gaming is still in its infancy as a medium. Some games will stand the test of time but constant improvements in technology means that as time goes by they'll become more and more like great silent movies - watched/played by afficionados, but with little wider appeal.

There's also the fact that the interactive nature of games means that one player's experience can and will differ drastically from another's dependant on their relative skill, experience of the genre etc. It's hard to admire a game as a classic if you find it teeth grindingly frustrating to play, or conversely, childishly easy.

Personally if I had to pick one game that will stand the test of time and still be played in decades to come I'd go with the original Doom. Sure the graphics are laughably primitive by modern standards (or for that matter by the standards of 10 years ago) but it still does what it does better than any other FPS I've ever played.

 

[Jackalb]

The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.

 

[PamelaQ]

Agreed on Morrowind. I'd also consider Baldur's Gate 2.