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Franchise that defines this generation?

bigpumbaa

Member
Seem we're definitely over the hill when it comes to this generation - not that it's ending anytime soon - but we're definitely beyond the midpoint.

Question is this: What is the franchise that has defined this generation in your eyes?

For me it's gotta be Assassin's Creed.

It's basically perfected what I'd imagine a modern videogame should be: a compelling world and narrative with responsibly open-ended gameplay. Multiplayer in AC:B has kind of confirmed it for me as a fantastic gameplay experience.

The core franchise has been very consistent in quality and the narrative has continued in a variety of other media. It's also got a bit of "meta" to it with the plot tapping into the 2012 end of the world thing and ARG-like elements built into the game.

It feels very much like when we look back, AC will "define" this generation much like GTA3/VC/SA defined last generation.

I can see arguments for Mass Effect though - and possibly the "Wii _____" series of games (but for completely different reasons).

Thoughts?
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Call of Duty and Wii __ are the ones that have had the biggest impact. Arguably the fall of Guitar Hero as well.

For me personally? Hm...I don't know. There have been a lot of games that I loved, but franchise that defined it is harder to nail down.
 
Gears of War and Uncharted. One got even better, the other didn't.



/edit:


Gears of War was important, because it's that actually brought something new to the 'next-gen' table. Apart from the amazing graphics the coop gameplay was terrific. The way combat works and feels at different ranges was refreshing to me as well. It's multiplayer was riveting on a level that multiplayer hadn't been for me in many years. It had my adrenaline up, screaming at the tv, you know... the works.


/edit 2 (in what way do they define this gen):

Gears of War's gameplay is copied often and it brought back coop in a pretty big way.

Uncharted perfects the whole cinematic/scripted thing that everyone seems to be going for these days. And it looks fucking amazing.
 

DaBuddaDa

Member
You're gonna have to elaborate on what "defines a generation" means or this thread will just turn into "post your favorite game this gen."
 

Penguin

Member
ShockingAlberto said:
Objectively? Wii ____ or Call of Duty, without a doubt.

Personally, I'd probably say the Trauma series.

Yeah I won't get into personal opinion, but those are the only two franchises anyone can say with a straight face has defined this gen.
 

Synless

Member
DaBuddaDa said:
You're gonna have to elaborate on what "defines a generation" means or this thread will just turn into "post your favorite game this gen."
The OP did when he/she said "in your eyes".
 

Rubius

Member
Plants Vs Zombies - Made Casual gaming fun. No more simple effort , they actually made something compelling, challenging and addicting
Fallout 3 - Open World, RPG elements, Good Story, Feeling in control and that the world around you is real. A good example of that is the Treemen.
When he ask you to kill him, because the tree that sprout on his head is now too big for him and completly took over his body, knowing that its the only place with tree in the wasteland because of him, and that if he stay alive, tree's may appear faster on the wasteland....
Big choice like that, made me LOVE Fallout 3.
 
Call of Duty and Gears. Those are the two answers. Like'm or not these are the two games who's gameplay has influenced other games. You can't even say Uncharted, because that takes influence from Gears.
 

Corto

Member
Call of Duty/Modern Warfare, Wii Party/Wii Sports etc, Facebook (cheating a bit with this one it being a platform and not a series), WoW.
 

shwimpy

Member
Rahxephon91 said:
Call of Duty and Gears. Those are the two answers. Like'm or not these are the two games who's gameplay has influenced other games. You can't even say Uncharted, because that takes influence from Gears.

the fuck?
 

Yes Boss!

Member
Uncharted
Demon's Souls
Street Fighter IV
Wii Sports
Mario Galaxy
Wii Fit
Call of Duty
Crackdown
Elite Beat Agenta/Ouendan
 

Nizz

Member
On consoles, I'd say Call of Duty. Each release is like Super Bowl Sunday or a holiday.

On PC, I'd say Crysis.
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Rahxephon91 said:
Call of Duty and Gears. Those are the two answers. Like'm or not these are the two games who's gameplay has influenced other games. You can't even say Uncharted, because that takes influence from Gears.
So...Halo and Resi 4 then?

EDIT: Screw it, there's no way this one is ending well.
 
It's obviously Gears of War. First game that gave us a glimpse of what most of this generation would be.


*edit* Oh wait, I miss read "defines" ans "defined". Hum, Call of Duty then.
 

jett

D-Member
We've already had this exact thread.

The answers are Call of Duty and Wii Sports, it's not even up for debate.
 
shwimpy said:
the fuck?
What? If Gears wasn't popular you really think Uncharted one would be the way it is? People seem to forget that Uncharted 1 is a real cover and pop shooter.

The_Technomancer said:
So...Halo and Resi 4 then?

EDIT: Screw it, there's no way this one is ending well.
I'm not sure how Halo is from this generation or like CoD.

And Gears and Resident Evil 4 are pretty different regardless of the camera angel.

You also seem to not understand that what I'm saying isn't that these two games are the innovators of anything. Really this is up for argument? Think about how many cover based games have now shown up. Mafia 2, GTAIV. Dark Sector, RE5(lol), ME, ect ect. This is all because of Gear's and it's popularity.
 

Archie

Second-rate Anihawk
The two objective ones are:

Call of Duty for its Hollywood presentation that a good chunk of publishers are trying to emulate (and bleeding money in the process).

Wii ____ for making the industry ga ga over motion controls.

There are two others that aren't really franchises and probably haven't influenced the industry to a degree as CoD or Wii ___, but I still think are noteworthy:

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is a love letter to the 80s score attack gameplay philosophy and was a major forerunner to digital distribution (arcade games in particular) becoming more accepted.

Minecraft for its use of word of mouth to sell a game and putting the spotlight on indie gaming in general.
 
Rahxephon91 said:
Call of Duty and Gears. Those are the two answers. Like'm or not these are the two games who's gameplay has influenced other games. You can't even say Uncharted, because that takes influence from Gears.
By your logic, shouldn't Gears not count because it took direct and stated influence from RE4?
 

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
What happens if I never played console games?

What happens if my idea of a current generation that lasts, say 2-4 years, is consistently concentrated upon the independent games developed for PC?

Does that mean that my opinion that a certain game that barely anyone on this forum (the bastion of gaming development banter) has heard about means less compared to the drivel and materialization that is such franchises like Call of Duty, Halo, Mass Effect, Gears of War?
 

theBishop

Banned
speedpop said:
What happens if my idea of a current generation that lasts, say 2-4 years, is consistently concentrated upon the independent games developed for PC?

When most people say "This generation", they're talking about the generation of consoles and the PC games roughly in the same caliber of tech.

I don't think that's taking too many liberties.
 

Moussi

Member
Mass Effect,Gears of War,Uncharted, and Oblivion. Oblivion was the first game I played this generation where I was like "Whoa this truly is next gen."
 
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