Infinity Ward's MW2 server decision results in severe economic implications

Did you shell out a couple hundred bucks just to play Halo on X-Box? Do you find yourself dreaming of monsters from playing Doom years back? Do you consider your life comparable to a level on Duke Nukem? Do you have flashbacks based on World War games like Call of Duty? Did you buy Serious Sam: First Encounter for ten bucks thinking it would only entertain you for a few hours? Do you argue with others over what the best first person shooter (FPS) really is?

Hopefully some of that applied to you. I won't lie, FPS games aren't my bread and butter, I recently wrote an article on strategy games and, thinking as a gamer should, didn't want to leave out the fascinating stories behind some of the games that kept me addicted in the late hours. Strategy can only go. so far.

There have been many strong third person shooter games like Max Payne and Die Hard, but FPS games are popular enough for a serious discussion to be made.

According to the history books, it was Return to Castle Wolfenstein that really started the revolution of FPS. Doom was created by id, the same software company that made Wolfenstein, and this was the game that would keep many up all night.

Doom ignited the FPS popularity. It is considered by many to be the best computer game of all time. I differ, as a strategist should, Civilization was the best computer game ever. It is a reality that both these games came out about the same time, and started a cultural revolution into the vastly improving computer gaming market.

Doom had a simple story: Demons crossing over after a freak accident with a teleporter between planets. Yet the absolute mayhem of the fighting, whether they be the simple fire breathing monsters, the humans who changed over into mutants, or the bosses like the Minotaur. It was bloody, and turned away some, leaving others heavily addicted.

How did FPS evolve from Doom to Halo? Halo, created by Bungie, was a direct descendant of the Doom game. There were some sequels to Doom. Doom 2 was good but like its predecessor was ruined by cheat codes. The graphics evolved even more in Doom 3, which wasn't' praised as much as the first two.

Gaming had evolved from games like Double Dragon being a focal point to Doom. FPS games were sold on console systems, and in my estimation this directly resulted in the creation of Halo. Golden Eye, a James Bond game with incredible multiplayer capabilities, had to have had an influence. Gamers moved away from Double Dragon and Mortal Kombat to games like Doom and Golden Eye.

There were countless others, but I always stuck with the big ones. Duke Nukem was fun, graphic, and had just about everything else that Doom had, but failed to bring an original storyline. There were even Terminator games in the mold of Doom. The mods continued, until, another PC hit came about selling for a very cheap price, Serious Sam. This introduced improved graphics and a game that didn't require multiplayer to be fun (differing from Unreal). The monsters were unique and it had an innovative soundtrack that worked well with the epic feel of the battles.

Consoles were ideal for FPS games but until Golden Eye there was no true great game. Doom was outdated by the time it was made into a console game, but Golden Eye really filled a void. The single player mission was okay, but the multiplayer replayability was what worked. It let developers know games like Halo could be made for consoles, and didn't have to be based on the Doom engine.

Halo was the only reason I bought an X-Box. Yes, that was why I spent over $300 dollars on the system and games. Based on an intergalactic war, Halo utilized both aliens and monsters, taking it a step up from Serious Sam and Doom. The soundtrack and graphics fully utilized what the X-Box could do; and the story was so good there were successful book series and comics created. Halo, like Doom, succeeded in making a worthy sequel game, with a step up in action and difficulty. There were differences: In Halo you could fly a jet, drive a tank or jeep, or even use alien craft. Doom or Halo are different games: Halo is superior, but Doom was revolutionary. One isn't better than the other.

It is my hope the Doom series will continue beyond the movie version with The Rock.

I already know Halo and Microsoft don't need any help.

A new field of games set in during major wars is becoming popular. The series include Medal of Honor and Call of Duty. Both have a historical feel with surpasses anything attempted by Halo or Doom and, though these games are far from superior, history fans should take note. World War II was never done more justice in an FPS than in the Call of Duty games.

FPS games have an appeal to gamers wanting to expend some rounds and let out all that frustration. I still like strategy more, even wrote an article saying so, but there are just some days that alien head would look better with a bullet through it rather than playing diplomacy.

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