What is the hidden potential and charm of the strongest indoor entertainment?

Lately, I've been consuming a lot of content, playing games and watching movies. In particular, I've been buying and clearing a ton of PS3 games, even though it's a bit late, and there are several reasons for this.

One reason is that the world of games will become closer to reality in the future, so I want to keep up with modern trends, which is why I'm tackling PS3 games one after another. When the rumored Oculus arrives, the world of games and the real world will probably merge, won't they?

Another reason is that games encompass all indoor entertainment. Movies, music, analog game elements. A multitude of indoor entertainments are concentrated there.

Recent games are produced with enormous costs, like 5 billion yen, so they condense Hollywood-level budgets. I believe games are the strongest indoor entertainment. This is undeniably a very attractive form of content.

The third is its appeal as content. Naturally, the content power unleashed by such ultimate indoor entertainment is extraordinary. It sells millions to over ten million copies worldwide. It crosses borders and is loved by the world. There aren't many entertainments that can engage the world to this extent.

Therefore, I wanted to dissect the appeal of games and explore 'why people become so engrossed and drawn into them'.

Well, I've pretty much come to a conclusion myself, but before that, I'd like to introduce three PS3 games I've played recently and found enjoyable. I'll also introduce a PS4 title in terms of a sequel. This time, I won't think too deeply and just introduce some recommended games I've played recently. After all, you won't know until you try them, right?

Uncharted series

First, the Uncharted series. There are three main titles and one spin-off. The fourth title will be released next year, I think? This is fun. The tagline is 'A movie you PLAY'. Just as it says, it feels like you're watching an action movie.

The story itself is like Indiana Jones. Chasing treasure. Along the way, various people get involved, leading to troublesome situations. At first glance, it's a classic formula, but the direction, the narrative, everything is meticulously crafted, making it feel like a movie you can control yourself. Along the way, the characters constantly interweave conversations at casual moments, so even regular playtime can be enjoyed as part of the story.

Below is the third title.

This is what the fourth title, released in 2016, looks like.
Can you feel the sense of ultimate indoor entertainment?

Imagining an Oculus version like this makes me incredibly excited.

I also feel the difficulty is a bit high, so it might be challenging for those who aren't good at action games. A live-action movie adaptation has also been decided, and I'm excited to see what kind of appeal will be brought out if 'A movie you PLAY' truly becomes a movie. It's especially recommended for adventure lovers. For me, the third title was the most interesting in the series. I really want an Oculus version to come out soon.

For those who own a PS4, I recommend the Uncharted Collection, which includes all titles from 1 to 3 and also has improved graphics. As of writing this post, it hasn't been released yet. For now, it's a game that will deeply resonate with adventure lovers. Also, the characters are charming, and their lines are cool. The voice actors are also well-chosen, making it immersive. Please give it a try.

Tomb Raider (PS3 and later) version

Many people probably know Tomb Raider, as it has been made into a movie many times. I've been playing it casually since the PlayStation era, but with the PS3, it somehow got a complete revamp. It became an incredibly exciting game.

Until now, I felt like I couldn't move the character well when operating it, but with the PS3 version, that feeling from the previous work is nowhere to be found. I was constantly thrilled by the breathtaking developments. Also, since the theme is focused on the growth of the protagonist, Lara Croft, I found myself saying 'Oh!' at her powerful growth.

Below is the PS3 version.

And then, the next title released on Xbox ONE.

The evolution here is also tremendous. Since the style is so similar, I can't help but compare it to Uncharted, but both have their merits. I heard somewhere that the PS4 Tomb Raider depicts a battle against nature. As such, nature is depicted very well.

By the way, in terms of story, Tomb Raider, like Uncharted, is a treasure-hunting game. Since they share the same core, I hope they continue to compete and push for increasingly amazing productions in the future. Personally.

The PS3 version of Tomb Raider was also impactful. Perhaps because the visuals had dramatically improved, the feelings of pain, sadness, and determination were vividly conveyed. In a movie, I can't empathize with it as my own experience, but when I play it myself, I truly feel the protagonist's emotions, and I remember realizing, 'This is the difference between games and movies.' In any case, if a game like this were released in an Oculus version, I feel it would have an impact so profound it could change the very nature of the world.

By the way, there's a Tomb Raider explanation app sold on the Apple App Store, and its UI and presentation made me think, 'Isn't this how next-generation websites will be expressed?' It's an occupational hazard, I guess. I might try to make Quadra's next homepage feel like that. If anyone is interested, please check it out. It's interesting. Though it might be better to play the game first.

Metal Gear Solid Series

Kojima Productions, which seems to have disbanded now. This is truly a masterpiece among masterpieces. Rich thematic depth. An engrossing story. It's a supreme series crafted from every conceivable angle—characters, visuals, music, gameplay—to explore weighty themes like war, nuclear weapons, genetic manipulation, and the war economy. I've been playing since the PlayStation version, and when the series temporarily concluded with 4, I was practically in tears. You really should play through all the past works. The early ones, of course, had limited hardware specs, so the visuals might feel a bit rough, but they should still be enjoyable.

Here is Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3).

And then, Metal Gear Solid 5 (PS4), which is about to be released.

The weight of the profound story seems to come through even in the PV. The Metal Gear series gives an inexpressible sense of emotion. Its taste is different from the two works I introduced earlier. It's a title that makes you go to bed thinking about various things after playing and clearing it.

Often, after seeing a masterpiece, people say, 'I felt like I wanted to try my best again starting tomorrow,' but after finishing Metal Gear, rather than 'I'll try my best again,' it's a work that makes you immerse yourself in a mysterious afterglow, muttering 'Snake, oh, Snake,' while pondering various difficult things, and thinking how wonderful peace is. You might think, 'The war economy is scary,' or 'Could it really exist as an extension of reality?'

By the way, this game was created by Director Kojima, who is with KONAMI. However, he had his own team as Kojima Productions and was producing Metal Gear, but it seems they recently disbanded. Apparently, one title cost around 7 billion yen to produce, and the budget didn't align or something. That being said, this is just speculation based on online information, so the truth is unknown. I really want Metal Gear to continue!

Anyway, recent games are simply the strongest indoor entertainment.

I think the trailer conveyed some of it, but personally, I believe recent games are the ultimate indoor entertainment, having perfected movies, music, story, and gameplay to their extremes. And these will continue to evolve rapidly. Especially with the future achievements that Oculus and VR goggles are set to accomplish, games will become playable with a sense of similarity to the real world to an immeasurable extent.

And as was already realized in the nostalgic Second Life, isn't it possible that people will earn money in virtual reality worlds, or that the world of games and the technology itself will infiltrate real-world economic activities and daily life?

The movie The Matrix is still famous, I believe, and I think the day when a cyber-world exactly like The Matrix begins to function behind the scenes is not far off. It's not some chuunibyou delusion; considering the progress of modern science and technology, you'll realize that a reality beyond science fiction is being prepared.

Because in the real world, experiments have already succeeded in things like moving cars with brainwaves, or transmitting text images from brain to brain like telepathy. This world has already reached a point where such stories can no longer be dismissed as mere fantasy.

So, feeling drawn to the world of games and their entertainment value, and with the prediction that the time to hack reality from the world of games (VR and virtual reality) will come within a few years, I've recently been consuming games and movies. It really expands one's dreams.

For now, I've introduced some fragments about the appeal and possibilities of games. I'm really looking forward to experiencing hacking reality from the world of games (virtual reality). Next time, I'd like to write about dissecting games, the ultimate indoor entertainment, and the conclusion I reached: 'What kind of content is truly exciting?'