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Games are becoming an increasingly mainstream medium, but is this a positive move for an industry founded on originality and innovation?
Ten years ago, if you were to ask Joe Public about his opinion on gaming, you may well have been assured (with some authority) that it was a pastime reserved for geeks and hermits. Nowadays however, this attitude exists only among the minority, and you’ll be more likely to be greeted with interest than you are the phrase ‘get a life’ when sparking off such a conversation. Over the past decade, the games industry has grown massively in popularity, and Joe has managed to become its most influential man by merely following the crowd. The question is, do we want him to be?
Joe is a casual player, yet he represents the key demographic. The more involved or ‘hardcore’ gamers who have stood by the industry since its shaky beginnings have been forgotten to make way for the average consumer, who outnumbers them considerably. He doesn’t care for originality or innovation – he wants yearly sports updates, he wants sequels, he wants movie tie-ins and, unfortunately, what he wants matters. It is a sad fact that, because of this, many modern masterpieces are quickly forgotten in spite of good press, such as Sony’s epic Ico – a game that received mass critical acclaim due to the unique way in which it exploited the player’s imagination to create an engrossing experience. Instead, it is generic rubbish like Shiny’s Enter the Matrix, a clumsy and rushed movie tie-in if there ever was one, that is sold by the truckload. The consequences are tragic, and we are left with uninspired nonsense cluttering the release lists as a cruel evolutionary process comes into play. After all, is the games industry not a business? Why should publishers fund original projects when the profits will inevitably be minimal or non-existent?
It takes a mere glance down the weekly television listings or music and film top tens to see examples of this business orientated survival of the fittest in other areas. How ideas like Holiday Hospital are passed for broadcast, while brilliance such as Family Guy is cancelled indefinitely is a concept we must grudgingly accept. Furthermore, the music industry appears to have reached an all-time low, and it is a struggle to think of a great film since the nineties. What is perhaps the most depressing thing of all, though, is that this firmly proves that there really is a market out there for such manufactured garbage. However, this is not to say there isn’t hope. The music industry is on a decline in royalties caused by reduced CD sales, and over the past few years, games have generated more revenue than box office, video and DVD sales combined. It seems that if the games industry continues down this path, it will lead to both its financial peak, and its eventual demise.
Peter Molyneux, Managing Director of Lionhead Studios, is known to have strong views regarding this quickly growing commercial pressure. “Making a computer game now is incredibly expensive. A few developers are really, really struggling. The small independents are the creators of all the new, fresh and different ideas and that is definitely going to suffer.”
The most obvious solution is for publishers and developers to establish some form of balance, and signs of this are already apparent. Nintendo and Sega, for example, have always been known as driving forces in the industry with regards to innovation, but they too are guilty of rehashing franchises for easy profit. Sega have not yet managed to create a 3D Sonic title that is as playable as its 2D cousins, and the GameCube updates of Mario and Mario Kart have shown little of the originality Nintendo are known for. Yet it is these guaranteed sellers that provide the funding for the risky innovations like Pikmin and Animal Crossing from Nintendo, and Rez and Jet Set Radio from Sega.
As with every generalisation, however, there are exceptions. Metroid Prime, Super Mario World, and the truly epic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are but a few examples of astounding sequels to major game franchises while Goldeneye 007 and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic are a testimony to the fact that once every so often, an excellent film tie-in does come along. So it all comes back down to this notion that a proportion of old against new needs to be instituted. Ideally, the shelves need to be cleared of the tripe that sells simply because it has a brand name to it, and replaced with the sequels that do deserve recognition – all the while leaving space for new, exciting games. All that is needed now is for our friend Joe to realise that.
Sadly though, we are still stuck in a world where critical acclaim doesn’t necessarily guarantee commercial success, and it looks as if that won’t be changing any time soon. In the meanwhile, try not to be part of the problem. As we experience what is probably the slowest time of the gaming calendar, the summer drought, it may be a good idea to try something a little different with what spare cash you might have lying around. Who knows? You might just be surprised.
Mav.
Ten years ago, if you were to ask Joe Public about his opinion on gaming, you may well have been assured (with some authority) that it was a pastime reserved for geeks and hermits. Nowadays however, this attitude exists only among the minority, and you’ll be more likely to be greeted with interest than you are the phrase ‘get a life’ when sparking off such a conversation. Over the past decade, the games industry has grown massively in popularity, and Joe has managed to become its most influential man by merely following the crowd. The question is, do we want him to be?
Joe is a casual player, yet he represents the key demographic. The more involved or ‘hardcore’ gamers who have stood by the industry since its shaky beginnings have been forgotten to make way for the average consumer, who outnumbers them considerably. He doesn’t care for originality or innovation – he wants yearly sports updates, he wants sequels, he wants movie tie-ins and, unfortunately, what he wants matters. It is a sad fact that, because of this, many modern masterpieces are quickly forgotten in spite of good press, such as Sony’s epic Ico – a game that received mass critical acclaim due to the unique way in which it exploited the player’s imagination to create an engrossing experience. Instead, it is generic rubbish like Shiny’s Enter the Matrix, a clumsy and rushed movie tie-in if there ever was one, that is sold by the truckload. The consequences are tragic, and we are left with uninspired nonsense cluttering the release lists as a cruel evolutionary process comes into play. After all, is the games industry not a business? Why should publishers fund original projects when the profits will inevitably be minimal or non-existent?
It takes a mere glance down the weekly television listings or music and film top tens to see examples of this business orientated survival of the fittest in other areas. How ideas like Holiday Hospital are passed for broadcast, while brilliance such as Family Guy is cancelled indefinitely is a concept we must grudgingly accept. Furthermore, the music industry appears to have reached an all-time low, and it is a struggle to think of a great film since the nineties. What is perhaps the most depressing thing of all, though, is that this firmly proves that there really is a market out there for such manufactured garbage. However, this is not to say there isn’t hope. The music industry is on a decline in royalties caused by reduced CD sales, and over the past few years, games have generated more revenue than box office, video and DVD sales combined. It seems that if the games industry continues down this path, it will lead to both its financial peak, and its eventual demise.
Peter Molyneux, Managing Director of Lionhead Studios, is known to have strong views regarding this quickly growing commercial pressure. “Making a computer game now is incredibly expensive. A few developers are really, really struggling. The small independents are the creators of all the new, fresh and different ideas and that is definitely going to suffer.”
The most obvious solution is for publishers and developers to establish some form of balance, and signs of this are already apparent. Nintendo and Sega, for example, have always been known as driving forces in the industry with regards to innovation, but they too are guilty of rehashing franchises for easy profit. Sega have not yet managed to create a 3D Sonic title that is as playable as its 2D cousins, and the GameCube updates of Mario and Mario Kart have shown little of the originality Nintendo are known for. Yet it is these guaranteed sellers that provide the funding for the risky innovations like Pikmin and Animal Crossing from Nintendo, and Rez and Jet Set Radio from Sega.
As with every generalisation, however, there are exceptions. Metroid Prime, Super Mario World, and the truly epic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are but a few examples of astounding sequels to major game franchises while Goldeneye 007 and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic are a testimony to the fact that once every so often, an excellent film tie-in does come along. So it all comes back down to this notion that a proportion of old against new needs to be instituted. Ideally, the shelves need to be cleared of the tripe that sells simply because it has a brand name to it, and replaced with the sequels that do deserve recognition – all the while leaving space for new, exciting games. All that is needed now is for our friend Joe to realise that.
Sadly though, we are still stuck in a world where critical acclaim doesn’t necessarily guarantee commercial success, and it looks as if that won’t be changing any time soon. In the meanwhile, try not to be part of the problem. As we experience what is probably the slowest time of the gaming calendar, the summer drought, it may be a good idea to try something a little different with what spare cash you might have lying around. Who knows? You might just be surprised.
Mav.
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Games are becoming an increasingly mainstream medium, but is this a positive move for an industry founded on originality and innovation?
Ten years ago, if you were to ask Joe Public about his opinion on gaming, you may well have been assured (with some authority) that it was a pastime reserved for geeks and hermits. Nowadays however, this attitude exists only among the minority, and you’ll be more likely to be greeted with interest than you are the phrase ‘get a life’ when sparking off such a conversation. Over the past decade, the games industry has grown massively in popularity, and Joe has managed to become its most influential man by merely following the crowd. The question is, do we want him to be?
Joe is a casual player, yet he represents the key demographic. The more involved or ‘hardcore’ gamers who have stood by the industry since its shaky beginnings have been forgotten to make way for the average consumer, who outnumbers them considerably. He doesn’t care for originality or innovation – he wants yearly sports updates, he wants sequels, he wants movie tie-ins and, unfortunately, what he wants matters. It is a sad fact that, because of this, many modern masterpieces are quickly forgotten in spite of good press, such as Sony’s epic Ico – a game that received mass critical acclaim due to the unique way in which it exploited the player’s imagination to create an engrossing experience. Instead, it is generic rubbish like Shiny’s Enter the Matrix, a clumsy and rushed movie tie-in if there ever was one, that is sold by the truckload. The consequences are tragic, and we are left with uninspired nonsense cluttering the release lists as a cruel evolutionary process comes into play. After all, is the games industry not a business? Why should publishers fund original projects when the profits will inevitably be minimal or non-existent?
It takes a mere glance down the weekly television listings or music and film top tens to see examples of this business orientated survival of the fittest in other areas. How ideas like Holiday Hospital are passed for broadcast, while brilliance such as Family Guy is cancelled indefinitely is a concept we must grudgingly accept. Furthermore, the music industry appears to have reached an all-time low, and it is a struggle to think of a great film since the nineties. What is perhaps the most depressing thing of all, though, is that this firmly proves that there really is a market out there for such manufactured garbage. However, this is not to say there isn’t hope. The music industry is on a decline in royalties caused by reduced CD sales, and over the past few years, games have generated more revenue than box office, video and DVD sales combined. It seems that if the games industry continues down this path, it will lead to both its financial peak, and its eventual demise.
Peter Molyneux, Managing Director of Lionhead Studios, is known to have strong views regarding this quickly growing commercial pressure. “Making a computer game now is incredibly expensive. A few developers are really, really struggling. The small independents are the creators of all the new, fresh and different ideas and that is definitely going to suffer.”
The most obvious solution is for publishers and developers to establish some form of balance, and signs of this are already apparent. Nintendo and Sega, for example, have always been known as driving forces in the industry with regards to innovation, but they too are guilty of rehashing franchises for easy profit. Sega have not yet managed to create a 3D Sonic title that is as playable as its 2D cousins, and the GameCube updates of Mario and Mario Kart have shown little of the originality Nintendo are known for. Yet it is these guaranteed sellers that provide the funding for the risky innovations like Pikmin and Animal Crossing from Nintendo, and Rez and Jet Set Radio from Sega.
As with every generalisation, however, there are exceptions. Metroid Prime, Super Mario World, and the truly epic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are but a few examples of astounding sequels to major game franchises while Goldeneye 007 and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic are a testimony to the fact that once every so often, an excellent film tie-in does come along. So it all comes back down to this notion that a proportion of old against new needs to be instituted. Ideally, the shelves need to be cleared of the tripe that sells simply because it has a brand name to it, and replaced with the sequels that do deserve recognition – all the while leaving space for new, exciting games. All that is needed now is for our friend Joe to realise that.
Sadly though, we are still stuck in a world where critical acclaim doesn’t necessarily guarantee commercial success, and it looks as if that won’t be changing any time soon. In the meanwhile, try not to be part of the problem. As we experience what is probably the slowest time of the gaming calendar, the summer drought, it may be a good idea to try something a little different with what spare cash you might have lying around. Who knows? You might just be surprised.
Mav.
Ten years ago, if you were to ask Joe Public about his opinion on gaming, you may well have been assured (with some authority) that it was a pastime reserved for geeks and hermits. Nowadays however, this attitude exists only among the minority, and you’ll be more likely to be greeted with interest than you are the phrase ‘get a life’ when sparking off such a conversation. Over the past decade, the games industry has grown massively in popularity, and Joe has managed to become its most influential man by merely following the crowd. The question is, do we want him to be?
Joe is a casual player, yet he represents the key demographic. The more involved or ‘hardcore’ gamers who have stood by the industry since its shaky beginnings have been forgotten to make way for the average consumer, who outnumbers them considerably. He doesn’t care for originality or innovation – he wants yearly sports updates, he wants sequels, he wants movie tie-ins and, unfortunately, what he wants matters. It is a sad fact that, because of this, many modern masterpieces are quickly forgotten in spite of good press, such as Sony’s epic Ico – a game that received mass critical acclaim due to the unique way in which it exploited the player’s imagination to create an engrossing experience. Instead, it is generic rubbish like Shiny’s Enter the Matrix, a clumsy and rushed movie tie-in if there ever was one, that is sold by the truckload. The consequences are tragic, and we are left with uninspired nonsense cluttering the release lists as a cruel evolutionary process comes into play. After all, is the games industry not a business? Why should publishers fund original projects when the profits will inevitably be minimal or non-existent?
It takes a mere glance down the weekly television listings or music and film top tens to see examples of this business orientated survival of the fittest in other areas. How ideas like Holiday Hospital are passed for broadcast, while brilliance such as Family Guy is cancelled indefinitely is a concept we must grudgingly accept. Furthermore, the music industry appears to have reached an all-time low, and it is a struggle to think of a great film since the nineties. What is perhaps the most depressing thing of all, though, is that this firmly proves that there really is a market out there for such manufactured garbage. However, this is not to say there isn’t hope. The music industry is on a decline in royalties caused by reduced CD sales, and over the past few years, games have generated more revenue than box office, video and DVD sales combined. It seems that if the games industry continues down this path, it will lead to both its financial peak, and its eventual demise.
Peter Molyneux, Managing Director of Lionhead Studios, is known to have strong views regarding this quickly growing commercial pressure. “Making a computer game now is incredibly expensive. A few developers are really, really struggling. The small independents are the creators of all the new, fresh and different ideas and that is definitely going to suffer.”
The most obvious solution is for publishers and developers to establish some form of balance, and signs of this are already apparent. Nintendo and Sega, for example, have always been known as driving forces in the industry with regards to innovation, but they too are guilty of rehashing franchises for easy profit. Sega have not yet managed to create a 3D Sonic title that is as playable as its 2D cousins, and the GameCube updates of Mario and Mario Kart have shown little of the originality Nintendo are known for. Yet it is these guaranteed sellers that provide the funding for the risky innovations like Pikmin and Animal Crossing from Nintendo, and Rez and Jet Set Radio from Sega.
As with every generalisation, however, there are exceptions. Metroid Prime, Super Mario World, and the truly epic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are but a few examples of astounding sequels to major game franchises while Goldeneye 007 and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic are a testimony to the fact that once every so often, an excellent film tie-in does come along. So it all comes back down to this notion that a proportion of old against new needs to be instituted. Ideally, the shelves need to be cleared of the tripe that sells simply because it has a brand name to it, and replaced with the sequels that do deserve recognition – all the while leaving space for new, exciting games. All that is needed now is for our friend Joe to realise that.
Sadly though, we are still stuck in a world where critical acclaim doesn’t necessarily guarantee commercial success, and it looks as if that won’t be changing any time soon. In the meanwhile, try not to be part of the problem. As we experience what is probably the slowest time of the gaming calendar, the summer drought, it may be a good idea to try something a little different with what spare cash you might have lying around. Who knows? You might just be surprised.
Mav.
I think that people should be informed with things like this before they buy new consoles.
Then the world would be a better place.
Then the world would be a better place.
If you are a business, you have to give the public what they want, unfortunately the public are a bunch of idiot's, it was always going to be the case that when the market moved into the cool territory and was adopted by the majority who don't know f**k, people got lazy.
Money is destroying it, whereas games used to be made by those who loved gaming, it is now just a business.
Money is destroying it, whereas games used to be made by those who loved gaming, it is now just a business.
Thanks for the replies, guys.
As I say, it's somewhat unfair that those with a real passion for games have next to no input with regards to what hits the shelves. Now it's for the most part dictated by "Joe" and the businessmen that develop them.
Something that, I feel, is rather sad.
As I say, it's somewhat unfair that those with a real passion for games have next to no input with regards to what hits the shelves. Now it's for the most part dictated by "Joe" and the businessmen that develop them.
Something that, I feel, is rather sad.
I think one problem with gaming 'going mainstream' as it were is that in any other entertainment industry (music, TV, film) there is still scope for people to come along and make stuff low budget. And although this doesn't sell as well as the mainstream stuff, there is still a market for the more 'underground' stuff.
With games, it is very different. It is very difficult to produce low budget games. For consoles it is all but impossible to do so, while on PC it may well be possible, but there isn't really a market for home-made games... To create a modern game, you need a bunch of people with experience, and a lot of time and money... Not like in music or film where a bunch of people can get together and throw some songs together or make a short film on a low budget...
With games, it is very different. It is very difficult to produce low budget games. For consoles it is all but impossible to do so, while on PC it may well be possible, but there isn't really a market for home-made games... To create a modern game, you need a bunch of people with experience, and a lot of time and money... Not like in music or film where a bunch of people can get together and throw some songs together or make a short film on a low budget...
A prime example of this would be in the PES vs FIFA war that is currently raging right now. Casual gamers will pick FIFA due to advertising and licensing, despite the fact that Pro Evolution is widely regarded as a much better game.
And Nintendo are probably one of the worst affected by this situation. They make innovative games, choosing to evolve genres rather than just repeat release games, yet they are classified by the majority as kiddy. Stupid, yes, but that's the casual gamer for you.
And Nintendo are probably one of the worst affected by this situation. They make innovative games, choosing to evolve genres rather than just repeat release games, yet they are classified by the majority as kiddy. Stupid, yes, but that's the casual gamer for you.
What gaming really needs is an uprising of either Sega or Nintendo in popularity, instead of getting rid of Joe Public, simply introduce him into a whole new variety of games.
I personally believe that such a thing may well happen in America come the release of the N5. There are huge amounts of Cube's sold there and clever advertising has given Nintendo a wide audience - being 'cool' without losing it's younger support.
Of course Europe will need something quite spectacular to happen in order to win over the casual gamers - at the moment Nintendo and Sega aren't exactly the msot popular of companies.
Great post.
I personally believe that such a thing may well happen in America come the release of the N5. There are huge amounts of Cube's sold there and clever advertising has given Nintendo a wide audience - being 'cool' without losing it's younger support.
Of course Europe will need something quite spectacular to happen in order to win over the casual gamers - at the moment Nintendo and Sega aren't exactly the msot popular of companies.
Great post.
Sibs wrote:
> With games, it is very different. It is very difficult to produce low
> budget games. For consoles it is all but impossible to do so, while
> on PC it may well be possible, but there isn't really a market for
> home-made games...
That's a good point, actually.
While gaming has become more mainstream since The Good Old DaysTM, it hasn't to the extent that people are recognising it as an industry alongside films and music. Especially not the government.
To expand on what yourself and Peter Molyneaux were saying, the small independents (the main source of new talent) are suffering due to the lack of funding from places like the British government. In France, for example, a scheme has been set up to encourage new companies and promote new ideas - providing developers with the tools required so that they can make a start. Why can't this happen in Britain when it is for film and music? As I read in gamesTM recently, the development scene in the UK has taken a serious blow lately.
We've just reached that stage where most of gaming is governed by money and not the passion the developers hold for the games.
> With games, it is very different. It is very difficult to produce low
> budget games. For consoles it is all but impossible to do so, while
> on PC it may well be possible, but there isn't really a market for
> home-made games...
That's a good point, actually.
While gaming has become more mainstream since The Good Old DaysTM, it hasn't to the extent that people are recognising it as an industry alongside films and music. Especially not the government.
To expand on what yourself and Peter Molyneaux were saying, the small independents (the main source of new talent) are suffering due to the lack of funding from places like the British government. In France, for example, a scheme has been set up to encourage new companies and promote new ideas - providing developers with the tools required so that they can make a start. Why can't this happen in Britain when it is for film and music? As I read in gamesTM recently, the development scene in the UK has taken a serious blow lately.
We've just reached that stage where most of gaming is governed by money and not the passion the developers hold for the games.
Rickoss wrote:
> I personally believe that such a thing may well happen in America
> come the release of the N5. There are huge amounts of Cube's sold
> there and clever advertising has given Nintendo a wide audience -
> being 'cool' without losing it's younger support.
>
> Of course Europe will need something quite spectacular to happen in
> order to win over the casual gamers - at the moment Nintendo and Sega
> aren't exactly the msot popular of companies.
To be honest, we copy the Americans a great deal, so if a surge in Nintendo support over there occurs, it will most likely have a rippling effect on Europe.
Good post.
> I personally believe that such a thing may well happen in America
> come the release of the N5. There are huge amounts of Cube's sold
> there and clever advertising has given Nintendo a wide audience -
> being 'cool' without losing it's younger support.
>
> Of course Europe will need something quite spectacular to happen in
> order to win over the casual gamers - at the moment Nintendo and Sega
> aren't exactly the msot popular of companies.
To be honest, we copy the Americans a great deal, so if a surge in Nintendo support over there occurs, it will most likely have a rippling effect on Europe.
Good post.
Rickoss wrote:
> I personally believe that such a thing may well happen in America
> come the release of the N5. There are huge amounts of Cube's sold
> there and clever advertising has given Nintendo a wide audience -
> being 'cool' without losing it's younger support.
Good point.
Hopefully the more mainstream exclusives such as Resident Evil 4 and Geist, that appeal to the older/casual user group, will increase the diversity of Nintendo's installed user base and therefore introduce more people to different, new things.
A course of events like this will ensure good sales for the N5 when it's released.
> I personally believe that such a thing may well happen in America
> come the release of the N5. There are huge amounts of Cube's sold
> there and clever advertising has given Nintendo a wide audience -
> being 'cool' without losing it's younger support.
Good point.
Hopefully the more mainstream exclusives such as Resident Evil 4 and Geist, that appeal to the older/casual user group, will increase the diversity of Nintendo's installed user base and therefore introduce more people to different, new things.
A course of events like this will ensure good sales for the N5 when it's released.
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