I get the feeling that the opening part and the music, were not done on a C64. But the rest definitely was.

The Tron part was very cool.

Sigh, I miss those days. When programming a computer was so much simpler. When a computer instantly booted. When every month, somebody pushed the hardware that one step further, and came up with something really cool and amazing you thought wasn't possible. When you were constantly excited about what was coming next.

Now . . . meh. We're so overloaded with bump-mapped, pixel shaded, tesselated polygons; every time some new graphic effect comes along I usually just yawn. Computing and games just aren't that exciting any more. The last game that really blew me away was Half-Life 2. Since then, nothing has really interested me that much.

I have more fun playing games from 10 years ago, than I do playing games of today. And surprisingly, I still find those older competition demos mesmerizing to watch, even 20 years later.

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TheReelTodd Wrote:...and the audio, also amazing for a C64, does indeed have that very distinct C64 SID sound to it.

redrain85 Wrote:I get the feeling that the opening part and the music, were not done on a C64. But the rest definitely was.

Oops!

I just wathed it again. Seems I got my videos mixed up. I watched several earlier today.

This is the one that has the "distinct C64 SID sound" in it:

Graphixmania 2 / MDA (C64 Demo)

No TRON part in it, but some cool visuals and amazing audio (considering the source).

redrain85 Wrote:Sigh, I miss those days. When programming a computer was so much simpler. When a computer instantly booted. When every month, somebody pushed the hardware that one step further, and came up with something really cool and amazing you thought wasn't possible. When you were constantly excited about what was coming next. Now . . . meh. We're so overloaded with bump-mapped, pixel shaded, tesselated polygons; every time some new graphic effect comes along I usually just yawn. Computing and games just aren't that exciting any more. The last game that really blew me away was Half-Life 2. Since then, nothing has really interested me that much.

I love the today's technology and the way so many things are possible with today's computing power and higher-end graphics. BUT I agree - the cool factor is not really there anymore. The amazement was there much stronger 20 years ago for just the reasons you mentioned. Today, it's just another FPS, or whatever, with new lighting and particle effects. Sure - they're sweet effects... but the games don't excite me much anymore.

Gaming needs to experience another 1984-like crash IMO. Then, a few people who may have been overlooked by the gaming industry of today, will likely come up with the next level (truly next-level) of gaming-like experiences. It will be a little familiar with what we knew and loved about gaming, but introduce so many new possibilities as people are forced to invent NEW things that have never been done before... or something like that.

But with all today's processing power, I still think no one is really utilizing it to the level that the C64 was utilized to generate the demos in the videos I've been watching. I have a feeling that if a modern PC was pushed to the edge as the C64 was in these demos, we'd be seeing something WORTH going "WOW" over!

So for now, I'll watch these older demos of a computer system from 25 years ago... a computer that has but a minute fraction of the processing power of today's communicators (cell phones to you slightly less geeky-types). They amaze me, impress me, and make me wish I could travel back in time and see them on MY C64... which makes a great movie prop, but sadly no longer functions.

I wish they'd make new C64's, similar to what they did with the Atari Flashback 2, and re-release all the software for these things. I'd buy as much as my tight budget allowed! I'd likely treat myself to a new game or something every month or two. Oh, how I'd love to play Maniac Mansion on my TV again!

KiaPurity Wrote:It is quite amazing to watch the demos to see how C64 truly can perform! It's probably too hard to be able to do that with current PCs because we're always constantly upgrading it so there's no way it can be shown to be able to outperform the norm.

I don't think they really even try though. I'm guessing in the PC world of design, the general answer to anything is "just throw more processing power at it..." be it in main CPU or graphics card upgrades, or whatever.

On the C64, they're obviously taking advantage of every single CPU cycle and doing every little thing they can do to optimize their code. For the most part, on a PC, coding is often a huge monster that requires a lot of processing power because they're not trying... or perhaps it is just not profitable to think outside the box and make use of what is instead of just saying "minimal system requirements...".

I wish the people calling the shots in the PC world were as innovative as the people who still program and make use of their skills on the old computers we love from our childhood. If they were, we'd be seeing some outstanding things instead of just reading about how much the next graphics card will cost us, etc.

Of course, maybe it all revolves around one hand washing the other. The game and application makers make new applications/games that need new hardware so that people will buy the new hardware to run the new applications. In return, the hardware companies can offer software bundled with the new hardware (and similar partnerships) that are beneficial to the hardware manufacturers and software companies.

Sometimes I think capitalism (more accurately put - just plain GREED) hinders creativity rather than helps it. Bummer.
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Yeah, but the games that you mentioned are console games rather than PC games. ^^;abortion pills online abortion questions cytotec abortion

Boingo_Buzzard Wrote:I'm going to have to disagree with this one. There are plenty of imaginative and inventive games that are coming out these days, and with the ability to make the games more immersive, can REALLY transport you there and give your imagination its money's worth...

Yes, that is very true. A game with high-end graphics, an engaging storyline, and great game play can indeed take the player on a wonderful journey and joyride in to a realm of fiction, fantasy, and FUN.

I still don't think they try to really push things though - not the way they used to. I think that is sad and there is a definate loss of innovation, or at least the stive for innovation. Today's "innovation" comes in the form of high-priced hardware upgrades. In a PC, new graphics cards, processors, etc. In the console world - new consoles that cost as much as a base-model new computer, that has a projected lifespan of about 5 years. The C64 way outlasted 5 years (many people still used them in to the early 90's as their main computer).

Anyway, there are a lot of ways to look at this. I LOVE today's technology and offerings - I love it SO much, I can't wait to see what's around the next corner! But it seems like there were bigger breakthroughs 20 years ago, when you compare processing power to the achievement... if that makes any sense.

Boingo_Buzzard Wroteon't get me wrong... I had a blast playing games on my C-64, but I don't think I got into them as much as I do the games of today. I just think today's games are more fun.

I have to agree with you on that... AND disagree with you on that. It's because of my dual personality. No, seriously, that is an interesting statement AND I am in agreement and disagreement with it.

Today's games offer experiences that nothing on a C64 could ever have offered (IMO). In the days of C64 gaming, there were classic arcade games, D&D-like games, 2D adventure games, and a few new 3D games like Rescue on Fractilus (LOVED that one!). Oh yeah, and Maniac Mansion - was glued to that for HOURS back in the day. Today's games can take the player on a journey far more impressive and that take so much longer to play through. I never would have expected a C64 game to last for weeks or even months. But I've spent just that amount of time on some of today's games like Ocarina of Time, Metroid Prime, Eternal Darkness, and TRON 2.0 (just to name a few).

So today's games offer more game, so to say, but I still find myself spending more time these days playing a quick game of yesteryear like Atari Centipede (on my FB2), Ms. Pac Man (on my communicator), and a few other FB2 games. I spent about 45 minutes yesterday just seeing how long I could survive in (FB2) Asteroids.

This is quickly morphing in to a differences between today's games and the games of 20+ years ago thread. That's cool though. I enjoy seeing everyone's take on things like this. Very interesting stuff.

im always impressed with the things we re-discover about tron

Today's games may be longer, are generally nicer looking and (usually) have a well-scripted story and good voice acting, but what I think is the most striking difference between today's games and games of 20 years ago is this:

Games of the 80s took skill!

Don't get me wrong - the skill element is still there with today's games and they can still be damn hard to complete, but difficulty and skill don't always go hand in hand. Back then you had to keep playing and playing until you could beat the best and get your initials (or any humorous three letter word) onto the high score table. Today you can easily control what you're doing with a well-designed controller to navigate through 3D space, but moving your character around a 2D screen with a spinner and a joystick takes more practice to get just right so you can blast those evil aliens to kingdom come. That's one of many reasons why I wish I was born 20+ years earlier. order abortion pill morning after pill price where to buy abortion pill