# Video Game Genres in Danger of Extinction **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227 "2007-01-08T23:59:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/41 "2007-01-10T21:33:17Z")
It’s a ZIP file, a single, compressed file with other files inside. You have to extract its contents before you can use them. If you’re using Windows XP, open the file and you’ll see a list of other files, along with a link on the left pane of the window that says “Extract all Files.” Click that, and the wizard will ask you where you want to put them. Choose a folder for them to extract to. Then browse to that folder and double-click on x64.exe and follow the rest of the instructions previously listed. The games come in ZIP files, too, so you’ll have to follow the same extraction process for those. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/42 "2007-01-10T22:05:15Z")
[QUOTE=bubastis] Isometric platform games… GONE. [/QUOTE] Ironically, in most 3D games with a flying camera, be it MMORPG or RTS, I usually end up placing my camera at generally isometric perspective of the area. I rarely feel the need zoom in close to see the pretty textures and zillion polygons. So my subconscious mind reverts to the good old iso. Now, whether this is because I’m conditioned to do so growing up through the old-school years (go Zaxxon!), or the isometric viewpoint really is the most efficient position, I don’t know 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/43 "2007-01-10T22:28:57Z")
[QUOTE=Tristan] I have played and enjoyed the hell out of Steel Panthers:World at War, which is a very modable PC wargame. Fun fun fun! Now, if I could just find the same in a modern context, that would be awesome [/QUOTE] You should check out these guys, they have a fantastic [WW2 genre tank](http://www.battlefront.com/index.htm) SP-style game (but also in 3d) called **Combat Mission** , and are coming out for a modern-era game like you describe. There are a lot of small-developer turn-based sims out there. [Simhq.com](http://Simhq.com) is also a good site to explore. ---
**Author:** ![CapnPitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@CapnPitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CapnPitt)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/44 "2007-01-10T22:49:16Z")
[QUOTE=GargoyleWB] You should check out these guys, they have a fantastic [WW2 genre tank](http://www.battlefront.com/index.htm) SP-style game (but also in 3d) called **Combat Mission** , and are coming out for a modern-era game like you describe. There are a lot of small-developer turn-based sims out there. [Simhq.com](http://Simhq.com) is also a good site to explore. [/QUOTE] I’ve heard good things about Battlefront as well. For wargamers, I’ve read many good reviews about Strategic Command 2 Blitzkreig. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/45 "2007-01-10T23:00:46Z")
I have a membership to [Gametap.com](http://Gametap.com), which has a great selection of older games as well as some new ones. (I believe they are at just under the 800 game mark at this time and they add games every week) It does have a monthly fee, but I find it worth it. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/46 "2007-01-10T23:31:45Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star] The games come in ZIP files, too, so you’ll have to follow the same extraction process for those. [/QUOTE] Great! It worked. Now all I have to do is find solutions. Awesome! ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/47 "2007-01-10T23:37:50Z")
I think lightgun games are on the way out. Of the current gen consoles, only the Wii even has a light gun, and that’s actually just a pistol grip for the Wiimote. A lot of the other endangered genres are actually pretty popular as flash download games. There are a lot of side scrollers and top-down shooters in that area. The game “Alien Hominid” started out as a flash game that was later ported to the consoles when it became popular. ---
**Author:** ![rogue568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rogue568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogue568)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/48 "2007-01-10T23:48:12Z")
[QUOTE=Hirka T’Bawa] The Graphical Adventure game is pretty much disapearing. Of the two main companies that produced adventure games during the golden age in the 90’s, Sierra and LucasArts, Sierra is no more, and LucasArts doesn’t produce anything but StarWars games. I would kill for a good adventure game like Loom, Sam&Max, DOTT, Fate Of Atlantis, the middle King Quests and Space Quests. [/QUOTE] Not true. Sierra has Empire Earth one and two as well as the expansions - those are pretty recent. And I think that they have something else in planning. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/49 "2007-01-10T23:51:36Z")
[QUOTE=mazinger\_z] Great! It worked. Now all I have to do is find solutions. Awesome! [/QUOTE] Glad you got it working. BTW, most of the newer text adventures you’ll find on that site don’t require an emulator. Instead you get an interpreter that “plays” a bunch of games the way a record player plays a record. The interactive fiction database itself has links to interpreters for all the major file types (GLULX, Z-Code, Adrift, TADS). ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/50 "2007-01-11T01:32:53Z")
[QUOTE=Orbifold] Urk…_axes_, man, axes! “Axises”…_shudder_… [/QUOTE] I think Soul Caliber has had axes for years. Swords and nunchucks, too. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/51 "2007-01-11T02:18:34Z")
[QUOTE=rogue568] Not true. Sierra has Empire Earth one and two as well as the expansions - those are pretty recent. And I think that they have something else in planning. [/QUOTE] The Sierra name is still around, but it isn’t Sierra. The company was bought by Vivendi who shut down the Sierra studios in '99. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/52 "2007-01-11T11:08:24Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] I think Soul Caliber has had axes for years. Swords and nunchucks, too. [/QUOTE] Don’t make me come over there. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/53 "2007-01-11T12:04:34Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] I give you [spore.](http://www.spore.com/) [/QUOTE] That’s great, don’t get me wrong…but I still miss open-ended terraforming. (Gads, I’d love an updated version…you could try to turn Earth into a scorching, chlorine-breather’s paradise, or something. _sigh_) ☹ [QUOTE=Sapo] Was I the only one who enjoyed Spaceward Ho!? [/QUOTE] Apparently not…it’s [still being sold.](http://www.deltatao.com/ho/) (Albeit a bit pricey.) ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/54 "2007-01-11T12:53:43Z")
Funs as Spaceward Ho! was, that price is just insane. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/55 "2007-01-11T14:14:55Z")
You know, speaking of the “adventure games without combat” genre, I really miss the _Leisure Suit Larry_ series. They were profoundly stupid, but the dialogue and voice acting was usually pretty good, and the puzzles - while not exactly on the order of the stuff in, say, _Riven_ - were diverting. They were also one of the few video games that my wife enjoyed as much as I did (she hates any games that require rapid or complex button pressing, so anything combat heavy is out), so we could play them together. A few years ago, they released a new one for PC and the consoles, and we were terribly excited. We rushed out and bought it, only to find out that they had turned the game into a series of rhythm and timing mini-games; it was that stupid dance game, only with more fart jokes. Now the property looks to be pretty much expired. Oh, well… ---
**Author:** ![Fredescu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/73ab20/32.png) [@Fredescu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fredescu)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227/56 "2007-01-11T22:01:58Z")
> [@Orbifold](#): > > Rail shooters, i.e. shoot-em-up games where you have little or no control over your movement but instead just get to control where you’re aiming. Rayman Raving Rabbids on the Wii has some great Rail shooter style mini games. It plays so well that I have little doubt that some full rail shooters will come to the Wii later on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-genres-in-danger-of-extinction/387227.md?page=2)