If you could send 3 games to an alien lifeform to explain video games to them?

[SWard]

If you could send 3 games to an alien lifeform to explain the history of video games to them, which games would you pick?

Maybe not Space Invaders... wouldn't want to give them ideas.

 

[Frindis]

I think I would have started with PONG, since that was a very popular game back in the 70/80's and because it also shows basic ways of controls and a quite intuitive handling. It would be very easy to understand, instead of something like the horrible game E.T. If I could also bring them the source code, that would have been great too.

The second game: Mega Man. Easy game to understand and I think it would be a nice introduction to platforming. Since they already understand the bumpers/balls, they'd probably figure out the jumping and shooting mechanics also. They will also get introduced to color and a larger soundscape and of course much better graphics.

The last game would be Abzu. It got great graphics, exploration/storytelling, and easy controls. There is some type of alien lifeform in that game, but I don't think they would be scared off by them.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

Man, there are a lot of ways you could go with this. I've been gaming since the Magnavox Odyssey, so I've seen it all. But I think rather than starting at the very beginning, I'll show the progression of my favorite franchise. But I'm not even going to start at the beginning of that franchise. My choices will be:

A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Breath of the Wild.

It doesn't show the oldest and simplest to the most modern and realistic graphics, but I like that progression. It seems like a good cross section.

 

[Colif]

Assuming the alien is more like Mork and less like predator.
Assuming they can see the displays the same way we do and can hold the controller. ET might struggle.

Considering one of the first few games we made was Space War... I think would need to be really selective. Missile Command? Um, no.

I would include Mario 64 in there as it is simple enough anyone can play it without instructions. Link isn't as obvious as to where to go.
Journey also falls into that category and is more a game than Abzu was.

I don't have 3 suggestions as I don't feel games are getting better, just prettier every year. Until they can't resell their games every few years based on it looking nicer, I don't expect games to get any better. Signs are it will only get worse.

 

[Brian Boru]

TLDR: Super Mario, World of Goo, Angry Birds.

explain the history of video games

Hmm…

Gotta start with Nintendo & NES, don't you? They whipped the industry in some sort of shape after the crash of the early wild west, and set a lot of precedents still in use today—mainly the developer-publisher relationship and protection of IP. What game represents them best from then?
Donkey Kong is from before the crash, so I go with Super Mario which just shades it from The Legend of Zelda.

Next big thing… I suppose the growth of easy distribution and easier dev—via better tools—which led to the professional Indie explosion on PC in the 00s. Ask 100 people if you want 100 different candidates, so I'll avoid the elephant Minecraft and go with one of my personal favs, World of Goo. Its claim to fame is becoming a major success despite being rejected by all publishers the devs approached—you could say it led the 'growing up' of the Indie explosion.

Final major development so far imo is the online/mobile gaming proliferation, mainly on small devices. Designed for distraction as much as any other attribute, very easy to pick up and drop again at a moment's notice. I'm not familiar with this sector, but I feel a key development it brought to gaming is the freemium and other new monetization methods. I suppose Angry Birds was one of the first big leaders in this new direction, and so beats out Candy Crush.

 

[Colif]

Gotta start with Nintendo & NES, don't you?

okay. so its an hour long but the answer isn't the one you gave

Seems I was wrong, first video game is from 1947 but as the first few games ran on super computers its no surprise most people don't know of them.

 

[Zloth]

The `47 one wasn't ever even built; it was just a concept!

Pong was about 50 years back. Three games. Oh dear.

• The old Star Wars arcade game. Let'm see some vector graphics.
• Yakuza 0. Has the advantage of having an arcade built into the game, so the aliens can see arcade-era raster graphics, too, not to mention many other forms of entertainment.
• City of Heroes. That way the aliens will think many of us have super-powers that will wipe them out of the sky. It's all about the shock & awe! (If we can't send MMOs, then Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, so they think they have to fight vampires to take us.)

 

[DXCHASE]

Doom, Halo and Mario, show those aliens we mean business when dealing with other worldly threats but also that we love our plumbers.

 

[SWard]

All of these feel spot on so far

 

[WoodenSaucer]

Doom, Halo and Mario, show those aliens we mean business when dealing with other worldly threats but also that we love our plumbers.

Duke Nukem 3D would be another good one for that.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHzo6cU_b-4

 

[Pifanjr]

I'd go with Tetris, as, I think, the best selling game of all time, Minecraft (including mods) as the best selling single release of all time and Arena of Valor as the highest grossing mobile game of all time.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

We could start them off playing Zork for a couple of days, then advance them to Pong for a while. Get them thinking that's the best we can do. Then throw Horizon: Forbidden West, or Elden Ring at them. During their initial shock, that's when we perform our preemptive attack.

 

[Colif]

right, cause every contact has to lead to war.

Blames Hollywood for portraying aliens as themselves. Projecting what we would do if we were them.

Perhaps aliens are here now and have decided not showing selves is best way to proceed. The UFO sightings by US Warships seems to suggest that. Maybe they are trekkies

Close encounters & ET are sure nicer than most reactions shown in movies. But peace isn't as exciting as explosions.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

right, cause every contact has to lead to war.

Blames Hollywood for portraying aliens as themselves. Projecting what we would do if we were them.

Perhaps aliens are here now and have decided not showing selves is best way to proceed. The UFO sightings by US Warships seems to suggest that. Maybe they are trekkies

Close encounters & ET are sure nicer than most reactions shown in movies. But peace isn't as exciting as explosions.

You have to learn your lesson from Independence Day. There were a ton of people on top of a skyscraper thinking just like you are. They were waiting to welcome our new friends from the stars. Then they got blasted. If you let your guard down for a moment, you're in trouble.

 

[Colif]

I guess I should expect answers such as yours from a gaming forum

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I guess I should expect answers such as yours from a gaming forum

You also should expect that I'm not being totally serious.

 

[Zloth]

View: https://youtu.be/ugZOvUjt2Nk?t=198

You have to learn your lesson from Independence Day.

Speaking of... why didn't you think to put a virus in that Elden Ring installer??

 

[Colif]

You also should expect that I'm not being totally serious.

How dare you have a sense of humour.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

Speaking of... why didn't you think to put a virus in that Elden Ring installer??

Great point!

 

[ZedClampet]

I think we should forget this idea for a moment and teach them first that they shouldn't be in a room with us alone by giving them several Leisure Suit Larry games.

 

[Research_Account]

If you could send 3 games to an alien lifeform to explain the history of video games to them, which games would you pick?

Maybe not Space Invaders... wouldn't want to give them ideas.

Nier Automata- as the ending can show the goodness within humanity.
Abzu- as it is simple yet beautiful and without violence.
TES IV: Oblivion- because the voice acting fails are hilarious

 

[WoodenSaucer]

Nier Automata- as the ending can show the goodness within humanity.
Abzu- as it is simple yet beautiful and without violence.
TES IV: Oblivion- because the voice acting fails are hilarious

Ok, now you have me thinking of another possible strategy.

1. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? - (I just have to include that. Haha) But the purpose is to help them learn more about our geography and cultures.

2. Europa Universalis IV - To teach them some of our history from the late middle ages to early modern age.

3. Influent - It's a mobile and Steam video game that helps teach languages.

 

[Zloth]

2. Europa Universalis IV - To teach them some of our history from the late middle ages to early modern age.

Minus the DLC, of course. Otherwise, we're not going to have enough money to send the games out!

Would this be giving them the wrong idea?

Planet Zoo on Steam

Build a world for wildlife in Planet Zoo. From the developers of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes the ultimate zoo sim. Construct detailed habitats, manage your zoo, and meet authentic living animals who think, feel and explore the world you create around them.

store.steampowered.com

 

[SWard]

Nier Automata- as the ending can show the goodness within humanity.
Abzu- as it is simple yet beautiful and without violence.
TES IV: Oblivion- because the voice acting fails are hilarious

This is an intellectual serve.

Although I think our first contact convo would go very differently to Mars Attacks if we sent them LSL...