What influence do old PCs have on reviving games?

Well, seeing as tho most of the games developed around here seem to have some influence from the good old days of computers (Apple II, TI-99/4A, Commodore 64, Altair, etc...), it leads me to wonder, which of these classic computers from long ago have the most influence on the games that you write?

I'll start this off... With me, it's the TI-99/4A, of all things, since that was the only really old computer I've ever had. From playing Parsec, Moon Mine, Alpiner, The Attack, and TI Invaders, those games alone gave me some power to consider some awesome classic games, yet have that extra new millenium element to them.

If I were to choose an alternative, I would've looked at the Apple II. That was a computer that we used in school since, like, forever. Oregon Trail and Wheel of Fortune brought me around on that, and yes, the boring word processor and all those math-based tutorial programs. However, it were programs like that, Print Shop from Broderbund, and Carmen Sandiego that really set Apple apart from others in that age.

Apple and TI seemed to have the biggest influence on me. I never did touch a Commodore or Tandy (even tho I had some thoughts on what games would've been like on those). It's cool to know that game design from those days have changed from the old days. With all the classic game revivals that are out there, nothing beats developing games, other programs, or playing games than on the systems that started them. Just today's PCs won't do them justice, IMHO. How far we have come, I tell ya.

Let's hear your stories on how old classic computers and/or consoles had an influence on how you see game development. The 1970s and 1980s seemed to have brought the start of a great future, and there were so many different types of, I mean... Wow. Just a cool feeling, and to know that I've been designing games since my freshman/sophomore year in high school (which would be almost, if not more than 10 years ago). Ahh, the memories...

Well, I think the computers are pretty much irrelevent here - it is the games that count.

For me the 'eye-opening' game was 'The Hobbit'. Prior to playing it I had not known about 'Adventure' games (as they were called back then)

The Hobbit was the first game to make me think about character AI and how you could do so much with just random events that could make a character seem real compared to so much around at the time.

The lessons there are still with me today.

It is not how advanced your AI is - it is how advanced the player thinks it is.

So I've been making games as a hobby since I was 8, that's um 23 years ago. Did on BBC/Acorn Electron, Spec 48/+2/+3, C64, Archimedes, Amstrad CPC 464, Amiga 500/1200, and DOS 6.22 on PC.

The best thing about old games was they had to focus on gameplay as graphics/sounds were limited (although towards the end of certain machines lives, they got really pretty good e.g. C64/spec/Amiga). This doesn't mean all the games were good, far from it. So if the old good classic gameplay can be recaptured and combined with modern graphics/sounds/bling then the games should be a winner, but perhaps only with the "retro" crowd. I'm stuck in the past and love all the old types of games:

- 2D platformers (sooo many. Some scrolled some were "flip-screen", some were at an angle like Golden Axe and Midnight Resistance),
- vertical/horiz shooters (space, planes, Ikari warriors-style),
- isometric puzzle games,
- point n click adventures,
- bat n ball games (good ones are great, crap ones are horrid)
- overhead gauntlett/alien breed style
- even older style one screen type games like pacman, centipede, invaders, jetpac etc.

Must have missed off loads of types e.h. elite style and Dungeon Master style, oh an beat em ups (but these have got better on consoles for sure).

Heh, my gaming tastes have changed, as have games. Allthough Elite, and stunt track driver, and the lotus games on the amiga stick to mind. Adventure games, Twin Kingdom Valley was awesome back in the day.

yeah certain games types have improved for sure, like racing ones. I hated most racing ones as a kid as they were crap except for BMX racer and supercars. I finally got into Ridge Racer on the PS1 and then GT3 on PS2 (played for hours).

Actually one type of game that still makes it big is overhead jap style RPG as one is doing really well on BFG right now.

Although I have very fond memories of the games I played in the 80s and 90s I think that, in regards to game design, I am far more influenced by literature. I am particularly interested in combining the interactivity of video games with the depth of plot, story and characterisation that can be found in literature (and to a lesser extent movies).

However, if I have to give examples of video games that have influenced me then I'll go with The Hobbit, Monkey Island II and Quest for Glory II and III.

Yeah, my influence is mainly in being clever, and making hybrid arcade games, mixing about two or more classics, and adding in, borrowing elements from more than one game to make one original arcade title. Yeah, may be pushing different things around just to make people think it's new, but it's worth it.

4 words: The Legend of Zelda

that game alone mmade me into the gamer that is i am, without it i would not have come into gaming as much as i did. sure mario was fun but i was 8 and my reflexs sucked(i got a NES like 7 years ago).

I don't think it was a case of that. There are many games these days that have great playability. There were mases of games in the old 8bit days and many were really bad and others were really good, pretty much the same as today.

I'm as guilty as most of looking back on the old 8bit days with rose tinted glasses. Recently I've been playing some old classics and they are not as good as I remembered them. Some are still pretty good fun though.

I seriously doubt that any software house can guarantee a game to have playability, just as much as no movie studio can guarantee a hit film.