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[Wollan]

A)

B)

C)

D)

E)

 

[Oni Jazar]

I don't

 

[norinrad21]

I hate loading screens

 

[dark10x]

I hate loading screens, but if they must exist, I prefer black screens or VERY simplistic icons (like the blinking cursor in GT3 or the snow flake in SSX3). I also enjoy those that attempt to stay connected to the game. For example, the original Getaway would simply blur the screen (everything out of focus) during loading and, when finished, it would fade into focus. Looked really cool.

I also don't mind when fancy cross fades and such are used. For example, while the game loads, the screen slowly blurs using post processing and then, when finished, that blurry image cross fades into the game. Basically, I like simplistic, stylish loading screens that seem to fit in well with the UI and game design. I also dislike when games actually use the wording "now loading".

The WORST loading screens are those like C and D. Conker, KOTOR, Fable, and the like all drove me nuts in that regard. Conker was especially bad, as the loading was fairly short, but they still felt the need to throw up a damn ad for the game.

Successful loading screens are able to smoothly transition between points. ICO does a post filter fade when you enter a room, followed by a quick black screen before showing the next area. Can you IMAGINE how much atmosphere would be lost if they tossed up a static 2D image (with no transitions) between rooms and said NOW LOADING with a loading bar? Good lord, that would actually damage my experience with the game.

Odd that you used a Master Chief looking fellow there. Halo 2 actually has a brilliant load screen IMO. You only see it once, it is very neat looking, and continues to play music while loading and smoothly fades it out. It just felt really cool.

 

[The Guivre]

I don't like them.. ever.

So it doesn't really matter, because all loading screens pretty much suck. Even those informative ones (KotOR/Jade Empire style). So what matters is what comes after the load screens.

 

[Ghost]

Idealy none is best, but necessary then i prefer some kind of progress bar (best if its arty like Halo) no "Random facts" please, they totally take you out of the atmosphere. Information there should be part of the games universe (Like "news headlines" or some such).

Only loading screens i ever enjoyed were Futuramas, they stuck show related posters up, like the molton boron ad and stuff like that. Ive been meaning to frame grab them actually...

 

[FortNinety]

The kind of loading screen is when you have that feeling that at least 25% of it is dedicated towards loading the loading screen (like little animations and the such).

 

[djtiesto]

I've always liked C)... Simple, to the point, and at least you can put up a nice graphic or character portrait so you aren't staring at a simple blank screen or a loading bar. The Fable style loading screens (D) just look a little tacky - especially when it switches the text to read a split second before the game's finished loading.

And any kind of 'mini games' you can play with the loading screens are fun, too. I loved spinning that text around in SOTN

 

[SHOCKIE]

Halo, best loading sreen evar.

 

[robot]

Namco's loading screens were always my favs - the ones that have playable games on em.

Someone should actually make the loading screen part of the game - like inventory management or something. Even tic-tac-toe would be better than just staring at a progress bar.

 

[Ceb]

killer7 has a great loading screen, thankfully.

Otherwise, I like it when you can manipulate them in some way, ie spin the text around or something.

 

[commish]

Loading screens where you can do something, like in Ridge Racer (galaga, I believe) or even Willy Beamish on the Sega CD, are best.

 

[Escape Goat]

Black...just like my men.

 

[Myoclonic Jerk]

I like them invisible

 

[dark10x]

killer7 has a great loading screen, thankfully.

Otherwise, I like it when you can manipulate them in some way, ie spin the text around or something.

Killer 7 does actually use a pretty slick loading screen, but unfortunately, it appears far too often and for too long (and I played it on GC).

That falls right into what I was saying...

Good loading screens properly transition between two points.

 

[Hooker]

Total Annihilation's loading screen rocked. You had multiple bars of all the different stuff it had to load into the momery. Models, world, animation, explosions, AI etc.



WC3's multiplayer loading screen is the best as well, where you can see how far along the rest of the players are.

On consoles, I usually play on my GC, which doesn't really have loading at all (Nintendo created games) But I remember liking Ridge Racers loading screen a lot (on the PSX) with the Galaga mini-game. Keeps you busy, and I always wanted it to last a bit longer so I could succesfully kill the last 1/2 monsters

 

[DarknessTear]

Something that occupies. Like pretty artwork or someone getting laid.

 

[∀ Narayan]

I like Halo 1's loading screen.

That's about it.

 

[Mallrat83]

Wave Race: Blue Storm. Thread over.

 

[Oni Jazar]

Namco's loading screens were always my favs - the ones that have playable games on em.

Someone should actually make the loading screen part of the game - like inventory management or something. Even tic-tac-toe would be better than just staring at a progress bar.

Namco has a patent that gives them and only them the right to use mini games during loading screens.

 

[Dr_Cogent]

I like them when they are almost impercievable. Such as how they do things in Soul Calibur. There are loading times, but they aren't obvious and they are quick. Quick loading screens rule.

 

[radioheadrule83]

I find any loading absolutely intolerable. If there is any, it has to be short or I never make it through the game without getting angry

 

[golduck342]

I like B, or at least some indication of the progress.

What I don't like are "unskippable elevator cutscenes" like in Metroid Prime.

 

[RonaldoSan]

I like them short.

Metroid Prime has the best loading scene. It's like part of the game.

 

[dark10x]

I like B, or at least some indication of the progress.

What I don't like are "unskippable elevator cutscenes" like in Metroid Prime.

Are you serious? The method of handling loading in Prime was brilliant as it never took you out of the game.

 

[LakeEarth]

Does anyone else notice that progress bars are never right? It reaches 100% and you still gotta wait 5-10 seconds depending on the game.

 

[impirius]

I love the loading screen on 1080:Avalanche, since it lets you choose the BGM for the upcoming stage.

 

[DemonCleaner]

Wave Race: Blue Storm. Thread over.

agreed

 

[Tellaerin]

If they have to be there at all, I'd rather have D. KotOR is probably the best example of how to do it right, IMO - the little factoids that appeared during the load screens not only gave me something to read, but they actually fleshed out the setting in an unobtrusive way. (Definitely better than some random NPC telling your characters things they would already know about their world in order to fill in the player, which really takes me out of the game.)

 

[Hooker]

Does anyone else notice that progress bars are never right? It reaches 100% and you still gotta wait 5-10 seconds depending on the game.

Battlefield 2 is the worst offender. after a rather long loading process it takes another minute to verify the data it just loaded into your memory :|

 

[D-X]

Good art (Burning Rangers), Spinny logo (Sonic Heroes) or metallic head (Sonic R)

 

[Dr_Cogent]

Battlefield 2 is the worst offender. after a rather long loading process it takes another minute to verify the data it just loaded into your memory :|

This was done to help prevent cheating.

 

[Saturnman]

The faster the better.

 

[SpokkX]

of course the best are no loading screens at all

Examples: Metroid Prime 1/2, Zelda Wind Waker

Else

A. Completely Black screen (fade out and fade in), or black with some some text relevant to the game like "Groove Graveyard", meaning the place you are entering.
Examples: Metal Gear Solid 1/2/3,

E. One long nice looking atmospheric loadingscreen at startup.. and then almost none at all.
Examples: Halo 2 (best example) and GTA:SA


The worst are easily D. Totally destroys the atmosphere.
Examples: Fable, Conker(!!!), KOTOR, any EA-game

 

[FiRez]

Halo, best loading sreen evar.

Yes, even on the most vanal and small things Halo:CE was very polished

 

[GitarooMan]

Does anyone else notice that progress bars are never right? It reaches 100% and you still gotta wait 5-10 seconds depending on the game.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Why have a progress meter if when it hits 100% it still keeps loading. And if I had to pick I would say D, at least give me something to read while loading, as long as it isn't some bull. I don't mind the ones in Burnout 3 that are like "have you tried X?" gives you a hint of what is to come.

 

[Speevy]

The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind: You'll learn so much about the game, and it patiently lets you read.

 

[F.Be@PSG]

C, absolutely.

 

[Mihail]

The fact that you guys are settling for loading screens is sad. You should be pissed off at companies for including them.

 

[GitarooMan]

The fact that you guys are settling for loading screens is sad. You should be pissed off at companies for including them.

Yeah, but the fact is, nearly every game has them. In a dream world every game would be like Jak 2 or something, but it isn't. I'm not going to be mad at companies for including them when everyone does it. I mean, if it was so easy to avoid, wouldn't they all do it? It's less the companies fault and more just a reality of the medium (optical disc) used.

 

[Hydro_Alexis]

Black...just like my men.

You are either a female or a homo


and i like my load times non existant.

 

[Mihail]

Yeah, but the fact is, nearly every game has them. In a dream world every game would be like Jak 2 or something, but it isn't. I'm not going to be mad at companies for including them when everyone does it. I mean, if it was so easy to avoid, wouldn't they all do it? It's less the companies fault and more just a reality of the medium (optical disc) used.

"Everyone does it" is an excuse that starts bad trends in the industry. I love PC gaming, but it's not inherent to PC gaming that all games should crash sometimes and that graphical glitches HAVE to occur. It's often the result of developers not willing to put resources into polishing off the engine or the final product. But it's up to the customers not to settle for it. Since they did, messups, even major ones, are considered quite common in PC games.

I don't want loading times to become "part" of video gaming. Hopefully, high-storage cartridges will be able to hit consumer prices soon so we won't have to worry about it, but until then, we shouldn't settle for laziness.

If the experience can me made as smooth as it is in huge games like Metroid Prime and The Wind Waker, there's little excuse (besides greediness) for developers not to cut down loading times.

 

[Hooker]

This was done to help prevent cheating.

Yeah, logically, but still pisses me off.


Don't put the progress bar at 100% when you still have shit to do

 

[GitarooMan]

"Everyone does it" is an excuse that starts bad trends in the industry. I love PC gaming, but it's not inherent to PC gaming that all games should crash sometimes and that graphical glitches HAVE to occur. It's often the result of developers not willing to put resources into polishing off the engine or the final product. But it's up to the customers not to settle for it. Since they did, messups, even major ones, are considered quite common in PC games.

I don't want loading times to become "part" of video gaming. Hopefully, high-storage cartridges will be able to hit consumer prices soon so we won't have to worry about it, but until then, we shouldn't settle for laziness.

If the experience can me made as smooth as it is in huge games like Metroid Prime and The Wind Waker, there's little excuse (besides greediness) for developers not to cut down loading times.

Good points, but different games have different requirements. For example, I've never seen a CD/DVD based sports or racing game without load times. I'm not a programmer, but I don't think there is a way to stream data efficiently when you don't know what the gamer is going to choose (i.e. which track or stadium or team). Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Vormund]

Are you serious? The method of handling loading in Prime was brilliant as it never took you out of the game.

That, and it's been a Metroid thing to have the elevator bits.

 

[Mihail]

Good points, but different games have different requirements. For example, I've never seen a CD/DVD based sports or racing game without load times. I'm not a programmer, but I don't think there is a way to stream data efficiently when you don't know what the gamer is going to choose (i.e. which track or stadium or team). Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

It's difficult, but I don't think it's impossible (I might be wrong as well, though). Mario Power Tennis has to load stadiums and such, but I don't remember any loading times. Albeit, it's much simpler than a realistic football game, etc.

 

[Mallrat83]

Good points, but different games have different requirements. For example, I've never seen a CD/DVD based sports or racing game without load times. I'm not a programmer, but I don't think there is a way to stream data efficiently when you don't know what the gamer is going to choose (i.e. which track or stadium or team). Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Mario Kart: Double Dash didn't seem to have load times.

 

[Mihail]

Mario Kart: Double Dash didn't seem to have load times.

That's true, and neither did F-Zero GX, which includes much larger and more complex tracks and many more racers.

 

[Zeo]

Not there. -_-

After playing so many games with little to no loading on GC, it's annoying to back back and play PSone games. Loading fucking SUCKS.

It's probably my biggest problem with the PSP. Loading on a portable is in no way cool. ;_;

 

[..pakbeka..]

I like it when they're so fast I can't even read NOW LOADING

like in SSBM