Hey, recently I've been hearing about how "we need to create something original" in games, and whenever I hear that, it seems like it's always accompanied with IMO stupid game ideas. My reaction is, "Sure, they're original, but why would I want to play that kind of game? I want action!". I've also heard people claim that games in the FPS genre are all the same. e.g. "Big buff guy fights aliens", or whatever. That's an exaggeration, but still, think about it - Resistance: Fall of Man is a FPS where you fight mainly aliens, yet it is, I believe, one of the top PS3 games, and was received warmly by the gaming crowd. I don't own a PS3, but I know that if I did, I would be playing RFoM. Basically, my question is this: What can we improve in the FPS genre? Is it storyline, setting, or gameplay that makes it "original"? or are FPS's doomed? Should we make completely different games in the hopes that people will like them more? I'm curious to know what you guys think. Personally, I don't know, I'm still debating between gameplay and story. I think original gameplay is hard, but also I think VALVe's upcoming game, Portal, will make a difference for FPS's.

My first thought in trying to fathom what could shake up the FPS genre is to consider the definition: First Person Shooter. It's a game where the player shoots things from a first person perspective, to give the player the sensation that he is actually there. So here are some questions a game designer could ask him (or her) self to analyze existing games and to examine his new idea:

1. What am I shooting at?
2. What am I using to shoot?
3. Why am I shooting?

If you're looking for a new mechanic, here is something I hope to do some day, and if anyone takes this idea, well hat's off to you. Blind people can't play video games because they can't see the screen, which is where user interaction takes place, but what if there was a game a blind person could play? A first person shooter deathmatch game where there was no visual component, the game screen was black. The only way the player could discern where his enemies were would be to listen for footsteps, gunshots, kicked debris, etc. It would require absolutely no artists but a killer audio engine. "No Seeing Eye." Revolutionary enough for ya?

Have the muzzle flashes light up the room quickly, for a neat strobe effect...

Of course, not for the blind..

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Original post by e_roder If you're looking for a new mechanic, here is something I hope to do some day, and if anyone takes this idea, well hat's off to you. Blind people can't play video games because they can't see the screen, which is where user interaction takes place, but what if there was a game a blind person could play? A first person shooter deathmatch game where there was no visual component, the game screen was black. The only way the player could discern where his enemies were would be to listen for footsteps, gunshots, kicked debris, etc. It would require absolutely no artists but a killer audio engine. "No Seeing Eye." Revolutionary enough for ya?

Too much of a niche to make it worth pursuing. I think if I were blind I would enjoy puzzle, sim, and adventure games more if I played games at all. I guess there is that one guy who can play fighting games blind, but he's definitely an exception to the rule.

You know what the FPS needs is depth. I dont want to slow down time why It's good for a effect but bullet time is over used. look at the game coming out time shift to reverse time then kill them again. Its ok but that makes me think there going to base the hours of gameplay on the fact your going to keep reversing to kill people. Resistance fall of man sucked i played it and thought gears of war was way better in every department. I mean listen if you do not come up with new and creative ideas for games i feel like ive played it before. Then i saw Gameinformer magazine they gave gears of war and resistance fall of man both tens when maybe gears of war was a 8 to 9 and then resistance was 5 to 6 honestly. I think they got payed money to doctor the scores. If you do not create new idea "Innovation" then yes the FPS is doomed thats why id like to get up with people to discuss what the next big step is.

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Original post by discman1028 Have the muzzle flashes light up the room quickly, for a neat strobe effect... Of course, not for the blind..

Or those with epilepsy.

FPS games sure feel stale to me these days. I think that one way to make them feel more original is for the game to be more than just shooting things. I think Half-Life 2 made a brilliant step forward here. They used physics in not just a "oh wow that's cool way", but a way that is useful to the player. And HL2 required the player to manipulate the environment and solve puzzles to make their way through, rather than just shoot or explode whatever was in their way.

I agree with Roots on this, though i'd take it abit further. The problem i beleive is the S in FPS, why should the first person perspective solely be wasted on Shooting things? Thief: The Dark Project is an excelent example of how incredibly fun NOT killing things can be. It makes me wonder just how fun Myst or the Journeyman Project would have been in a FP environment with a few deadly traps to go with it, instead of the slide-show experience.

First Person Adventure Game.

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Original post by umbrae First Person Adventure Game.

Those games are already in the works. examples alan wake,Uncharted Drakes fourtune. Are 2 that are on the way and dont forget Farcry.