Interactive Loading Screens - High Hell (i.imgur.com)
from Kissaki@beehaw.org to gaming@beehaw.org on 02 May 2024 09:12
https://beehaw.org/post/13537268

Developing interactivity is effort and an investment. Most developers put up a simple loading screen, maybe some text like rotating tips, and a loading indicator. Until 2015 a patent on interactive loading screens may have made developers and publishers cautious and decide against developing interactivity.

High Hell, released in 2017, features fast gameplay, short levels, and interactive loading screens. (Linked Clip) (High Hell Steam page)

What’s the best kind of loading screen? Do you have examples of good or bad interactive loading screens?

#gaming

threaded - newest

Malix@sopuli.xyz on 02 May 2024 09:31 next collapse

Dunno if it is good or bad, but Warframe has this loading screen where you see players’ ships and you can steer them a bit. No real point to it, but at least it’s something to do when waiting for someone to load in.

Herbstzeitlose@feddit.de on 02 May 2024 13:29 collapse

The joy of getting everyone to join in with your Liset dance.

Maven@lemmy.sdf.org on 02 May 2024 10:44 next collapse

Splatoon 1 let you play five different minigames on the wii u pad, including a pretty solid rhythm game, while waiting, nothing else has come close for me

strongarm@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 02 May 2024 10:57 next collapse

There was an old Spectrum Game that actually loaded up Pacman first before the main game.

Kissaki@beehaw.org on 03 May 2024 13:49 next collapse

What’s a Spectrum game? Is that a game series?

Blackmist@feddit.uk on 03 May 2024 16:13 collapse

The ZX Spectrum was a home computer popular in the UK back in the 1980s.

Games loaded from audio tapes, and would frequently take 5-10 minutes to get into a state where you could actually play them.

Now get off my lawn!

Blackmist@feddit.uk on 03 May 2024 16:11 collapse

One of them had Space Invaders. I can’t remember for the life of me which one. It was apparently used on the C64 quite a lot, under the name Invade-a-Load.

strongarm@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 04 May 2024 09:01 collapse

Yeah I can’t remember my game either, it might have been something like Joe Blade 3?

authorinthedark@lemmy.sdf.org on 02 May 2024 16:27 next collapse

the worst kind of interactive loading screen is one that is fun on a game that loads quickly.

This is of course a problem that should only be complained about and never fixed, please don’t make your game load slower just so that i have enough time to press buttons

Kissaki@beehaw.org on 03 May 2024 13:50 collapse

Maybe it should only finish loading after you beat the mini-game? 🤡

all-knight-party@kbin.run on 02 May 2024 17:22 next collapse

Disgaea 3 on the Vita had a loading screen with a prinny spinning like a ballerina. If you tilted the Vita the accelerometer would make him slide across the screen accordingly, like a spinning top

julianh@lemm.ee on 03 May 2024 01:11 next collapse

They’re not interactive but Spec Ops: The Line’s loading screens stick out to be. They start out as pretty standard tips and lore info, but then starts giving you stuff like the definition of ptsd, a fun fact about increasing suicide rates in the military, or just telling you you’re not a good person. Occasionally the normal loading screen is entirely replaced with a ghostly image.

Kissaki@beehaw.org on 03 May 2024 13:54 collapse

That sounds like great game design. Using the loading screen as an extension of the game direction and concepts, adding to it.

Kolanaki@yiffit.net on 03 May 2024 01:16 next collapse

The Sims 3 had interactive loading screens prior to 2015 when one of the first DLCs introduced them. They’re just “find the object” puzzles that earn you in-game points for the family you’re loading. They’re the only non-Namco game interactive loading screens I can think of that were around before the patent expired.

The first one I saw was by the patent holder, Namco, where you could play Galaga while Ridge Racer loaded. I always wanted to see it used more and was stoked when I read the news about the patent expiring.

averyminya@beehaw.org on 03 May 2024 14:17 next collapse

I have a couple. For the Playstation 2 (and whatever other console) the game for Treasure Planet had a loading screen where you could manipulate how you flew passed starts.

Surprised to not see the Dragon Ball Z games mentioned.

There was another game I was trying to think of, but I got distracted and lost it.

Donut@leminal.space on 03 May 2024 16:36 next collapse

Phantasy Star Online Ep. 1 & 2 has two loading screens where you can manipulate the location or speed and angle of the visuals on-screen. Not super interactive but enough to make the loading times feel less long

jarfil@beehaw.org on 04 May 2024 12:12 next collapse

The best loading screen is: none.

Load levels in chunks, preload the first chunk of the next level before the player reaches the end of the previous one, and either have a smooth transition, or at most put a skippable cutscene.

Loading screens are for poorly developed games.

Elkenders@feddit.uk on 06 May 2024 11:16 collapse

Not saying this is a good one but Splatoon on switch you manipulate the music speed and pitch with the analogue sticks.

Kissaki@beehaw.org on 06 May 2024 15:07 collapse

Speed sounds fun