| Jpcc86 said: I think both cool and fun are very subjective terms because they depend on the person's experience, not the product itself. If we are to bring objectivity we must have a comparison point by which to measure. I think you can objectively say that graphics, writing and sometimes even gameplay of a game have high quality or not in comparison to the other games of their time and age. That, of course, has nothing to do with your personal taste/liking/experience of the game. I would being Uncharted 4 as a prime example as it has a smart story development, great structure and fantastic graphic design, but to many people its not that good of a game simply because its not the kind of game "they like", "they dont like cinematic moments in games" "its too easy". When you bring up your experience/taste/idea of what a game should be, then it kills any form of objective argument. |
For the sake of argument then, perhaps we throw out the "fun" side of this argument. Some games try to add coolness and some don't. I think Uncharted is right up there with Sonic in trying to tap into this generation's version of cool. So forget the "fun"/objective part. Let's focus on the subjectivity of "cool."
When you look at Sonic and Uncharted you see they made attempts to be cool. And regardless of how fun they may or may not be their coolness stands out blatantly. And again, fun or not, as time goes on they will be remembered for their groundbreaking steps in the coolness factor. Sonic was aerodynamic, sharp, fast, and rebellious, and the uncharted series was dramatic, scenic, action-packed, super-real. Coolness changes and so entertainment based on a subjective element will always age badly even if it was fun - so long as the cool factor is percieved as stronger than the fun factor, which I would argue is true for the games mentioned.
Mario never tried to be cool, thus it's fun factor (which every game has) remains the dominant trait. As time goes by Mario's percieved status does not die or age quickly because it's appeal was not tied down as much to such subjective elements.
So I'm postulating that a game's perceived status is based on cool/fun. Which one is pushed more by the game-makers onto the audience?
