Video games I want to play

I was looking through the E3 coverage tonight and thinking about what kind of video games I'd like to play that I just haven't seen done right in years. All of them have been done before, but none of these are things I feel have been realized to their full potential. There are lots of things that are just begging to be made into really great games and they just haven't been. I really don't think this post is going to influence anyone to actually make these games, but please indulge me while I piss into the wind. Okay?

Surfing: This is probably a tough one to really pull off, but it's been done in the past, and pretty well. Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer was pretty much the best you could've hoped for in a surfing game at the time. What I'd like to see from something like this is a semi-realistic approach along the lines of Skate (although with the controls tailored to surfing instead of skateboarding, in an equally intuitive, non-gimmicky way), and also like Skate, a learning curve that rewards a prior understanding of the sport, and makes the sport easier for newcomers to understand as they pick up the game. The main challenges I could see with this would be accurately representing the sport in a way that's fun to play, and also making the actual gameplay varied enough to be worth the purchase to people used to land-based "extreme sports" games. My suggestion would be lots of unlockable boards and wetsuits/shorts/etc. and multiple "real world" beaches with their own algorithms for generating waves that mimic the ideal conditions present at each of those beaches in real life. I think this approach, which probably seems rather dated in a way, is still the ideal for this kind of game (a "sandbox" approach would probably just be awkward and serve only to destroy the immersiveness of the experience). Another problem I could see is defining gameplay objectives without getting too "arcade" with it. I definitely feel that an emphasis on realism, and a system for producing photos and videos along the lines of Skate would be essential here. I could see, for example, something like Skate 2, where you compete against professional surfers in competitions and make videos for sponsorships and cash to unlock new boards and clothing. Of all the ideas I have here, this would probably, I think, be the hardest to implement.

Speedboat racing: Anyone who's ever seen Live and Let Die wants this game to be made. But I think for it to be done right, it needs to go above and beyond the call of duty for a game like this. First off, realistic driving physics and actual licensed boats, past and present. The ability to upgrade and tinker like in Gran Turismo would also go a long way. Really, it's a pretty simple idea I think. Just one that hasn't really been implemented. Add a strong online component and you'd have solid gold.


Rugby: I know, another sports game. But rugby is a sport that's never really gotten a good, solid video game adaptation, despite being far, far more entertaining to watch than sports that have really excellent video games based on them (American football, baseball, and golf come to mind). That said, I have to wonder what's so hard about making a good rugby sim. I know EA sports has made one in the past, but it's never really been good. This needs to change. Are you listening EA? I know you're making Rugby 2012 right now. For fuck's sake, don't screw it up!

Really, none of these ideas is really anything too special. In fact, almost all of them could be done in a way that would feel fairly familiar or at least be somewhat intuitive to pick up for anyone who's been playing video games for a few years. But what I'd like to see is a fresh approach that makes them all relevant genres again.

A quick anecdotal lesson in why skepticism is important.

Today I found out my sister's cat had feline leukemia. This was entirely preventable. She loves those cats like they're her kids. She takes great care of them overall, and even buys them this stupidly expensive organic pet food that I have no idea how she affords.

The reason her cat got feline leukemia is related to that last point. The lady who sells it to her (owns a pet food store called Bark and Purr here in Boise, which I urge everyone to boycott for reasons I'm about to get into) convinced her that her cats do not need to get their vaccinations every year. I don't know what her reasoning behind this is, and frankly, I don't care. The bottom line is, feline leukemia is preventable. So is FIV. So are a lot of other diseases cats get. My stance on this is that if you can't get your pet the proper immunizations and can't provide proper care (not to mention spaying and neutering), don't own one. Or if you must, there are lots of great pets in animal shelters whose shots are current already. But anyway, I'm getting away from my point.

There's a lesson to be learned, here. This reminded me of the kind of behavior exhibited by people like Jenny McCarthy who are trying to convince America that putting ourselves at risk of dying of some of the most horrifically painful diseases nature has to offer is preferable to the possibility (based on a paper with no scientific credibility, even among the scientists who did the study) that we might get autism. I'm sick of seeing people (especially celebrities) handed credibility to spread their crackpot ideas while real scientists and doctors are fighting an uphill battle to get anyone to even listen to what they have to say about health care. So here's a hint: your doctor went to medical school. He has a highly advanced degree and passed classes that would make your head explode. Jenny McCarthy was in Scary Movie 3. Compare the credentials for yourself.

My point is, consider your source before you believe things. A lot of people have got this down already. A surprising number, however, will believe pretty much any stupid thing someone tells them, especially if it's in print or on TV or sharted out of a congressman's mouth (fun fact: a seat in congress is not the same thing as credibility). In fact, don't even believe anything I say without looking into it. While this is not always the case, your life or the life of someone you care about might depend on it. Whether it's you, your kid, your pet, your best friend, your neighbor down the street, or whoever. There are lots of people out there trying to make money off of things that have potential to be incredibly harmful, and it's up to everyone to make sure they don't get paid for it.