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Rockstar's Table Tennis heads to Wii.

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Christ, table tennis... Is there a more lame game to make a videogame out of?

 

It's the sport which essentially started video gaming...

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It's the sport which essentially started video gaming...

 

Actually, no.

It's blasting each others to smitherens in spaceships.

The only reason that the first successful videogame was about pingpong was the technical limitations and legal issues. The creators were inspired by tennis, but since there allready was a company that had made a game based on tennis, they had to rename it before release. But since the gameplay was too similar, they basically got sued anyways. I mean, that game didn't contain a single processor or anything of the like. It was made out of free transistors and stuff. I study games development, so I know.

 

Plus, that it was a great game concept in the mid-70's doesent mean it's a great concept today. It's literally been 30 years.

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The thing is: Table Tennis is an intense sport. And for that, it still deserves vidoe games based on it. Now we need games for other great, but not massively popular, sports. Like Squash.

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Actually, no.

It's blasting each others to smitherens in spaceships.

The only reason that the first successful videogame was about pingpong was the technical limitations and legal issues. The creators were inspired by tennis, but since there allready was a company that had made a game based on tennis, they had to rename it before release. But since the gameplay was too similar, they basically got sued anyways. I mean, that game didn't contain a single processor or anything of the like. It was made out of free transistors and stuff. I study games development, so I know.

 

Plus, that it was a great game concept in the mid-70's doesent mean it's a great concept today. It's literally been 30 years.

 

sorry so you must be the fountain of all things gaming... I have a degree in English Studies doesn't mean I claim to know anything about English history, I'll think you'll find Pong did come first...and by some way...

 

Pong was released November 29, 1972. (Courtesy of a gaming history book) Asteroids didn't come out till 79 (77 perhaps when Spacewar its predecessor came out?)

 

So that's 7 years...If Pong hadn't been the success it was we may never have even seen Asteroids...

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sorry so you must be the fountain of all things gaming... I have a degree in English Studies doesn't mean I claim to know anything about English history, I'll think you'll find Pong did come first...and by some way...

 

Pong was released November 29, 1972. (Courtesy of a gaming history book) Asteroids didn't come out till 79 (77 perhaps when Spacewar its predecessor came out?)

 

So that's 7 years...If Pong hadn't been the success it was we may never have even seen Asteroids...

 

*Checks The Ultimate History of Video Games, chapter 3*

 

Actually I'm right. The first game was called Computer Space, and was released in 1971, although it didn't do very well, they didn't even sell all of the 1500 machines they had manufactured. The first videogame EVER was SpaceWar, which was made on a supercomputer called PDP-1 at MIT. That was finished in 1962, and Computer Space was pretty much the same game as SpaceWar. In the late 70's there was a game released called Space Wars, to cash in on the Star Wars movie.

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The thing is: Table Tennis is an intense sport. And for that, it still deserves vidoe games based on it. Now we need games for other great, but not massively popular, sports. Like Squash.

 

It is intense, your right.

 

Table Tennis was a very good game on the 360, and still is on Wii, but even with the added motion controls, the game has come out at the wrong time and at the moment, i don't see the point in buying it!

 

Should be cheaper then £24.99 as well. £14.99 it should have been. :heh:

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*Checks The Ultimate History of Video Games, chapter 3*

 

Actually I'm right. The first game was called Computer Space, and was released in 1971, although it didn't do very well, they didn't even sell all of the 1500 machines they had manufactured. The first videogame EVER was SpaceWar, which was made on a supercomputer called PDP-1 at MIT. That was finished in 1962, and Computer Space was pretty much the same game as SpaceWar. In the late 70's there was a game released called Space Wars, to cash in on the Star Wars movie.

 

Ok point taken. But by your own admission it wasn't a hit...If you look at what cube originally wrote...he said essentially started the videogame industry, by no means saying it was the first just a springboard, it was the first popular marketable mass produced arcade game...you don't need to start spouting off what supercomputer it was released on etc...surely?

 

Anyway back to my original point I think your missing out on a treat dismissing this just because it is a table tennis game...

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Ok point taken. But by your own admission it wasn't a hit...If you look at what cube originally wrote...he said essentially started the videogame industry, by no means saying it was the first just a springboard, it was the first popular marketable mass produced arcade game...you don't need to start spouting off what supercomputer it was released on etc...surely?

 

It is commonly excepted fact that Spacewar is the first computer game. Don't get arsey with him just because he knows what he is talking about. I'll give you some advice too... go play Spacewar, just download it cos its still fucking great. Pong on the other hand is mind numbing.

 

So as a subject change: Anyone who has actually played this on 360 think that the Wii controls will improve the game?

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It is commonly excepted fact that Spacewar is the first computer game. Don't get arsey with him just because he knows what he is talking about. I'll give you some advice too... go play Spacewar, just download it cos its still fucking great. Pong on the other hand is mind numbing.

 

So as a subject change: Anyone who has actually played this on 360 think that the Wii controls will improve the game?

 

I wasn't getting arsey just no reason why he should start spouting all this stuff off saying I know this cos I study this etc... when the original point still stands... I think more people would guess pong as the first game, not spacewar...

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I think more people would guess pong as the first game, not spacewar...

 

Even more reason to correct people then I say. Confidence in bad knowledge is an increasing problem nowadays...

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Even more reason to correct people then I say. Confidence in bad knowledge is an increasing problem nowadays...

 

Computer Space was the first commercially available computer game. Pong was the first commercially successful video game.

 

The first videogame EVER was SpaceWar

 

Tennis for Two (1958), OXO (1952) and NIM (1951) pre-date SpaceWar.

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Computer Space was the first commercially available computer game. Pong was the first commercially successful video game.

 

 

 

Tennis for Two (1958), OXO (1952) and NIM (1951) pre-date SpaceWar.

 

thanks someone finally in some way backing me up!

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Computer Space was the first commercially available computer game. Pong was the first commercially successful video game.

 

 

 

Tennis for Two (1958), OXO (1952) and NIM (1951) pre-date SpaceWar.

 

D'oh!

You're right, forgot about those... But what the heck is NIM? Doesent even show up on Wiki, apart from some nuclear calculating thingy...

 

But my statement remains, basing an entire game off pingpong is just lame. Rockstar should make a Wii sports-ish thing, where Table Tennis is one of the sports.

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Ping Pong is massive in the east. And generates massive media coverage over there. It was also a hugely successful sport in the 60's/70's in America (like Bowling was in the 1950's) so I'm sure it's just a modern day mind-set that makes people think it's a crap idea for a videogame. There are many people still play ping-pong and it's a great sport with concentration being of utmost importance at all times. The rules are relatively simple with the basis of winning all down to the players skill/ability to dictate the ball spin. A good basis for a videogame if you ask me. Infact, if you read the bold statement above, it could sound like bowling..and people don't think that's a crap idea for a videogame.

 

There should be more games based on sports which people perceive to be "crap". I'm talking squash, badminton, bowls, competitive swimming, volleyball, (cricket!) hockey etc... And the Wii is a perfect fit for these games. (When will we get an ice hockey game??...It seems like a perfect fit for the Wii).

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Tennis for Two (1958), OXO (1952) and NIM (1951) pre-date SpaceWar.

 

Dont know about OXO or NIM (can hardly remember what they are actually :/) but Tennis for Two was an interactive science demonstration really. Spacewar was the first game designed and made to be a game solely. This is I think why many people see it as the first game. I would suspect that that is the case with OXO and NIM too.

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Another sports game without online aaaarrrrggghhhhh! why do they do this??? all sports games/racing games - within reason should have online.

 

Well I for one wont be buying this Rockstar grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :(

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saw this in gamestation when I was picking up Zelda:PH and couldn't believe it when it was £39.99 it was meant to be a budget title!

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Infact, if you read the bold statement above, it could sound like bowling..and people don't think that's a crap idea for a videogame.

 

There should be more games based on sports which people perceive to be "crap". I'm talking squash, badminton, bowls, competitive swimming, volleyball, (cricket!) hockey etc... And the Wii is a perfect fit for these games. (When will we get an ice hockey game??...It seems like a perfect fit for the Wii).

 

Err... Would you buy a bowling game? I mean, at full price, where that's the only sport included? I wouldn't. Dito for competitive swimming, that's included in basically game based on the Olympics.

And the fact stands: a Pingpong set costs little over twice as much as that game does. And Pingpong tables dont take much place at all, since they're foldable!

KTSportsPingPong.JPG

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Err... Would you buy a bowling game? I mean, at full price, where that's the only sport included? I wouldn't. Dito for competitive swimming, that's included in basically game based on the Olympics.

And the fact stands: a Pingpong set costs little over twice as much as that game does. And Pingpong tables dont take much place at all, since they're foldable!

 

So what if its foldable? You'll still need a large garage (a double one if you have some skill) with a lot of space for one. Most people don't have one. Nor do a lot of people have a room big enough for one (if they wanted to risk smashing loads of stuff).

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Err... Would you buy a bowling game? I mean, at full price, where that's the only sport included? I wouldn't. Dito for competitive swimming, that's included in basically game based on the Olympics.

And the fact stands: a Pingpong set costs little over twice as much as that game does. And Pingpong tables dont take much place at all, since they're foldable!

 

But you're missing the point I was trying to make about these types of games.

 

In a way the industry hasn't really made a point of making these "niche" types of games in great depth because they are what I would refer to as 'specialist'.

 

Imagine if you will:

 

Wii Bowling is extremely popular and is indeed part of a package. If it was released on it's own it would still have done well. But sales would have been totally price dependant. if Wii Sports Bowling stood on its own and sold for £20 it would maybe have sold incredibly well. But it's maybe impossible to say due to this being fiction and not fact. If Wii Bowling included a massive tournament mode including unlockable lanes, bowling balls and bowling shoes it would (in a gamers mind) be "worth" the cash. And the same would apply to swimming/bowls/croquet/crazy golf games. (Potentially ALL suited to Wii).

 

Err... Would you buy a bowling game? I mean, at full price, where that's the only sport included? I wouldn't. Dito for competitive swimming, that's included in basically game based on the Olympics.

 

You state that you wouldn't. Which is fair enough, and you state that the industry puts these types of games into "collections". Which is the single most annoying factor (and neive) basis in the industry. (To me).

 

For instance, I love competitive swimming and would love an in-depth game based on this. Yet in a 30yr business model we've seen nothing of great credence to the sport. This is the problem with gaming. We see thousands of FPS games because they sell. but why do they sell? Because it's standard? Expected? Because the "model" works. Let's shake the standards up and take risks. Only then will gamers widen their eyes to something a little new. Forever Blue is another step in this direction. Not everyone can scuba dive but many want to.

 

I don't mean to rant. I just think that many games are made with a neivety and gaming will never acheive similarity to movies/books if it is forever locked in the mindset of its current genres.

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I played on a mate's copy yesterday and didn't have the time of my life. It wasn't awful, but it just didn't feel responsive.

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Played it for about half an hour last night. I agree it wasn't that responsive and it doesn't feel that natural. Early days yet but I'm a bit disappointed so far.

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I played it for about an hour and had a blast. I think some of you might forget you have to do the swing as soon as the other player has hit the ball. Playing through training gives you a good idea on how to place the ball etc.

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