Your take on "Press start" to start game screen

[Welshieinnz]

Hi all,

Just a quick question. What's your take on the "Press start" screen that appears on most games before the game starts. So, you press start and then you get access to the main menu.

Personally, I can't stand them, but hey...that's me.

 

[Tisan]

If I recall correctly there was a top ten list of things developers should get rid of recently from Business Week.
They mentioned this Start screen, how unintuitive it is for the casual gamer, and suggested people change it to "Press Any Button". Which would mean less confusion and hunting for a mysterious 'start' button.

Which seems good to me :]

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Why even have the screen though? Why not just have the menu straight away?

 

[aselto]

Why even have the screen though? Why not just have the menu straight away?

To have a cool animation. If animation is not there, then it is pointless though, I admit. I don't mind it, pressing start takes like less than 0.1 second?

 

[ferro]

In The Simpsons 360 game it's essential. Pressing start earns you 5 points and is actually an Achievement (first one in the list):

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/achievements.php?gameID=299

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I like that! As a Simpson game where one doesn't have high hopes, it seems to be some stuff pretty right.

 

[Daozang]

In The Simpsons 360 game it's essential. Pressing start earns you 5 points and is actually an Achievement (first one in the list):

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/achievements.php?gameID=299

Clever!!!
Well that's one creative use for it!
Otherwise there is none!:smile:

 

[hey69]

yeah, why not press the any key ..

 

[Deepak]

I want "Press Start" to stay there. It wouldn't be a video game without it....

 

[infinity4]

Everything that has an end has a beginning. I am just so used to it I would miss it It is nice part of presentation of a game as well.

 

[Tahir2]

Probably a relic of arcade games like Street Fighter II where you put your money in and so does your friend and then you press "Start" to begin the game to ensure you are both ready.

At a guess.... it must have some historic reason for it.

 

[ERP]

yeah, why not press the any key ..

Believe it or not, I've actually seen focus groups when we used wording like that and some people can't find the "any" key.

 

[RobertR1]

Believe it or not, I've actually seen focus groups when we used wording like that and some people can't find the "any" key.

True story from the helpdesk guys here at work:

"it says press any key to continue. My keyboard doesn't have it!"

Called the helpdesk in fear that hitting anything but the "any" key might break her machine.

My favorite is always "can you download the internet onto my machine?"

 

[czekon]

whats wrong with pressing start to start ??? is it so hard to figure out??

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Probably a relic of arcade games like Street Fighter II where you put your money in and so does your friend and then you press "Start" to begin the game to ensure you are both ready.

At a guess.... it must have some historic reason for it.

Or superstitious.

 

[fearsomepirate]

I'd like to see the "Game Saved" prompt go away. All I can do is press a button to acknowledge that, indeed, my game has saved. I have no other options...so what's the point?

 

[DJ12]

Why even have the screen though? Why not just have the menu straight away?

Maybe if you don't press start these games go into demo mode and if you do press start it opens the menu up and cancels any demo mode?

 

[Arwin]

Kazunori apparently had been experimenting a little with motion control and thought that one of the things he liked best was to have the menu come up when you pick up the controller. I thought that was quite clever ...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Nice idea, but as I start my console with the controller in hand, I'd never get to experience it. If it had auto-pause when you put the controller down with auto-resume, that'd be cool, but off topic!

 

[standing ovation]

I always thought the intro/demo screen was there to prevent burn in.