I'm a little drunk... so this will likely be somewhat unfocused. 
 
I've heard people bitch about monster closets ever since Doom 3 was released. The strange thing about that, the only game that really has seemed to have been "tarred" with this moniker has been Doom 3.  The thing that blows my mind about this, is that monster closets have been around for years... and long before Doom 3 was ever released. 
 
The real question I supposed would be, "what is the monster closet?" An excellent question. In reality... this device is really meant to be an area just outside of the player's range of vision that spawns enemies for them to combat. Every game ever made uses this tactic... from top down shooters, to real time strategy games. The developer needs a place to spawn enemies to attack the player from a position that they may not be ready to engage from. So... why does Doom 3 get tarred with this designation? 
 
The answer is that the developers didn't bother to paint a door on the wall of the location that certain enemies spawn from. Despite the fact that games Rainbow Six Vegas, and Ghost Recon both use this tactic, they get a 'get out of jail free card' because they decide to paint a useless fucking door on one of the walls of the monster closet. 
 
It's entirely possible that I'm crazy (and I invite you here to rebut this argument), but it doesn't make any sense to me that a game like Doom 3 is maligned for picking scary times to spawn enemies as being for having 'monster closets', while games like Serious Sam and the upcoming Serious Sam HD have absolutely no comment on the matter (especially since people are still bitching about it over new screenshots for RAGE). 
 
Give me a good argument for why monster closets in Doom 3 are bad, and why they are awesome in games like Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden 2.

I remember this one particularly hilarious monster closet in Doom 3. A panel in the wall slid over, and an Imp jumped out. I killed him, and there was a healthpack inside the monster closet where the demon jumped out from. When you go inside to get it, there's another monster closet inside that monster closet and another monster jumps out at you!

" I remember this one particularly hilarious monster closet in Doom 3. A panel in the wall slid over, and an Imp jumped out. I killed him, and there was a healthpack inside the monster closet where the demon jumped out from. When you go inside to get it, there's another monster closet inside that monster closet and another monster jumps out at you! "  

Every "scary" movie ever made is full of fucking monster closets. Catching someone by suprise is the only way to scare people in this day and age. A human head with maggots crawling out of it, and a big turd sticking out of its eye socket won't scare today's desensitized youth, so they need to take that same human head with a big shit on it, make it pop out of something with bad lighting, and scream at them. Monster closets still scare people, and until someone comes up with a better way of scaring people, ya'll monster closet h8ers can eat a dick.

" Every "scary" movie ever made is full of fucking monster closets. Catching someone by suprise is the only way to scare people in this day and age. A human head with maggots crawling out of it, and a big turd sticking out of its eye socket won't scare today's desensitized youth, so they need to take that same human head with a big shit on it, make it pop out of something with bad lighting, and scream at them. Monster closets still scare people, and until someone comes up with a better way of scaring people, ya'll monster closet h8ers can eat a dick. "

I don't mind monster closets per se. For me, however, Doom 3's were just predictable and routine. Actually, all of Doom 3 was predictable for my money. I was never once surprised or unsettled by that game. So, yeah... bad monster closets are bad.

" @Rasgueado: I'm not saying it's a bad thing. In fact, I think the monster closet technique is well used in Doom 3 and id really did use them in some creative ways to enhance the game's atmosphere. And I appreciate id's sense of humor about it with the "closet in a closet" thing. "

I don't have a problem with the ones in Doom 3 (Although I do hate the fact that you can't carry a gun and a flashlight taped to it). Although some of the closets in Doom 3 become less unique and you literally think that there is going to be an imp behind the door and behind you after you pass the door (Which is why I actually enter doors backwards in horror genres).

If you want to talk about the deterioration of a "double dip" technique, I'm absolutely game. Everyone is guilty of double dipping for the wrong reasons all the time. In the last Canadian election the leader of the NDP had a fantastic comment about the conservative leader's lack of an economic plan by asking him if he was hiding it "under his sweater" (a dig for earlier campaign advertisements showing Stephen Harper wearing a sweater and holding a kitten)... but he made the mistake of going for the double dip, and mentioned it again.  
 
If we want to talk about period game design, I would defy anyone to show me someone that does something markedly better (apart from Half Life 2... though it is equally as guilty). There's no argument from me that over the span of 12 hours that you begin to assume that something is going to jump out from behind you the moment that you pick up that armor... but I would say that nothing has evolved much since then. I felt the same way at many points in numerous action games over the past few years... not the least of which are Halo 3 and Killzone 2.

" @keyhunter said:

" Every "scary" movie ever made is full of fucking monster closets. Catching someone by suprise is the only way to scare people in this day and age. A human head with maggots crawling out of it, and a big turd sticking out of its eye socket won't scare today's desensitized youth, so they need to take that same human head with a big shit on it, make it pop out of something with bad lighting, and scream at them. Monster closets still scare people, and until someone comes up with a better way of scaring people, ya'll monster closet h8ers can eat a dick. "

Word. =) "

" @Rasgueado said:

" @keyhunter said:

" Every "scary" movie ever made is full of fucking monster closets. Catching someone by suprise is the only way to scare people in this day and age. A human head with maggots crawling out of it, and a big turd sticking out of its eye socket won't scare today's desensitized youth, so they need to take that same human head with a big shit on it, make it pop out of something with bad lighting, and scream at them. Monster closets still scare people, and until someone comes up with a better way of scaring people, ya'll monster closet h8ers can eat a dick. "

Word. =) "

That's why I love Silent Hill 2 so much. It's scariness doesn't come from jumpy scenes but from making you so depressed and sad for the character. It's scary in an emotional kind of way. "

" If you want to talk about the deterioration of a "double dip" technique, I'm absolutely game. Everyone is guilty of double dipping for the wrong reasons all the time. In the last Canadian election the leader of the NDP had a fantastic comment about the conservative leader's lack of an economic plan by asking him if he was hiding it "under his sweater" (a dig for earlier campaign advertisements showing Stephen Harper wearing a sweater and holding a kitten)... but he made the mistake of going for the double dip, and mentioned it again.  
 
If we want to talk about period game design, I would defy anyone to show me someone that does something markedly better (apart from Half Life 2... though it is equally as guilty). There's no argument from me that over the span of 12 hours that you begin to assume that something is going to jump out from behind you the moment that you pick up that armor... but I would say that nothing has evolved much since then. I felt the same way at many points in numerous action games over the past few years... not the least of which are Halo 3 and Killzone 2. "

I wish games would be scarier using physiological tactics. Like in Eternal Darkness when your character would fall apart or he would spawn on the ceiling when entering a room,depending on how sane or insane he was. And I'll never forget the first time it tricked me into thinking it had deleted my save or that I had to go and buy the non-existent sequel to continue.
 
What I'm saying is they need to make another Eternal Darkness game. COME ON Silicon Knights! Forget the Too Human sequel and make this!!!

It's not "bad". Due to more capable hardware, there's more realistic options available for game designers if they want to put the work into adding that to their game. It's a gameplay mechanic being "upgraded" from simple to complex. That being said, there's still fun to be had with simple gameplay mechanics when done right so the term "upgraded" is used in a technical sense and may not result in a more enjoyable game. 

In my personal experience, while playing Ninja Gaiden, you want infinite guys to be coming at you so you can blast through them. While in an FPS, people's shooting skills have made it so infinite guys coming at you is not be enough to hold an interest as it's *aim for weakpoint* *shoot* *repeat*. With so many FPS games out there, people are looking for the continuing evolution that makes one game worth buying over the other. It all goes back to personal preference, but as the majority of people prefer the more realistic enemy behaviors there's going to be a movement away from the classic mechanics.

" It's not "bad". Due to more capable hardware, there's more realistic options available for game designers if they want to put the work into adding that to their game. It's a gameplay mechanic being "upgraded" from simple to complex. That being said, there's still fun to be had with simple gameplay mechanics when done right so the term "upgraded" is used in a technical sense and may not result in a more enjoyable game. In my personal experience, while playing Ninja Gaiden, you want infinite guys to be coming at you so you can blast through them. While in an FPS, people's shooting skills have made it so infinite guys coming at you is not be enough to hold an interest as it's *aim for weakpoint* *shoot* *repeat*. With so many FPS games out there, people are looking for the continuing evolution that makes one game worth buying over the other. It all goes back to personal preference, but as the majority of people prefer the more realistic enemy behaviors there's going to be a movement away from the classic mechanics. "

dead space had the best monster closets. the part where it locks you in a busted up hospital room and a big monster is slowly pacing after you, only a swipe or two from that guy and your dead. so the place is busted up, really gross looking with blood and vomit and fecus everywhere, all of the lights are either broke or flickering, theres loud intense music playing, and you have to figure out a way to get the door open. im pretty sure everyone dies their first play through on that part. 

" dead space had the best monster closets. the part where it locks you in a busted up hospital room and a big monster is slowly pacing after you, only a swipe or two from that guy and your dead. so the place is busted up, really gross looking with blood and vomit and fecus everywhere, all of the lights are either broke or flickering, theres loud intense music playing, and you have to figure out a way to get the door open. im pretty sure everyone dies their first play through on that part.  "

" dead space had the best monster closets. the part where it locks you in a busted up hospital room and a big monster is slowly pacing after you, only a swipe or two from that guy and your dead. so the place is busted up, really gross looking with blood and vomit and fecus everywhere, all of the lights are either broke or flickering, theres loud intense music playing, and you have to figure out a way to get the door open. im pretty sure everyone dies their first play through on that part.  "

Ehh, stuff like that does not bother me to much. But FEAR was the first game to come out in a long time that actually scarred me here and there. Alma was really creepy 0.o

Well... I'm with you on the application of the monster closets (though it seems we all still agree that this is the method being used). The developers went the extra step of making really good vents to hide the spawning... which is just a step above of painting a useless door (you know what I'm talking about. That door in your favorite FPS with the glass porthole in it that you can't see through because it's just a texture).

" Ehh, stuff like that does not bother me to much. But FEAR was the first game to come out in a long time that actually scarred me here and there. Alma was really creepy 0.o "

 
I loved DOOM 3 and it's many monster closets. I thought it was a fabulous game. :)

"Every "scary" movie ever made is full of fucking monster closets. Catching someone by suprise is the only way to scare people in this day and age. A human head with maggots crawling out of it, and a big turd sticking out of its eye socket won't scare today's desensitized youth, so they need to take that same human head with a big shit on it, make it pop out of something with bad lighting, and scream at them. Monster closets still scare people, and until someone comes up with a better way of scaring people, ya'll monster closet h8ers can eat a dick. "

Thanks a bunch fellas, just managed to convince myself there's really no monsters in my closet. Now I gotta find that Monsters inc DVD before I go to bed.

" I thought this tpoic is about real closet, want to buy nice and cool closet? I only give this company where you can get good quality of closet. 
closets "

That's actually some really nice closets. No monsters though. So no purchase senio`r spammer.

" Every "scary" movie ever made is full of fucking monster closets. Catching someone by suprise is the only way to scare people in this day and age. A human head with maggots crawling out of it, and a big turd sticking out of its eye socket won't scare today's desensitized youth, so they need to take that same human head with a big shit on it, make it pop out of something with bad lighting, and scream at them. Monster closets still scare people, and until someone comes up with a better way of scaring people, ya'll monster closet h8ers can eat a dick. "