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

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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 

Zloth

Community Contributor
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.)
 
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.
 
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pifanjr
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. :ROFLMAO:
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
 
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

Community Contributor
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?
 

TRENDING THREADS