Ben-DutkaPerhaps it was inevitable. But what was once a simple, harmless little hobby for a few of the less popular kids in school has now become "big business."
The term sends shudders through the long-time hardcore who naively wish things could've remained the same as always. We have to take the bad with the good. The advancements are amazing even though the nasty underbelly of the electronic world has, as of late, seemed…slimier.
Activision, Infinity Ward, two disgruntled former employees, and a multi-billion-dollar property. The legal facts are almost impossible to follow accurately and at the end of the day, it all boils down to the following: a bunch of very rich people jabbing at each other in an attempt to get richer. $100 advertising campaigns. The advent of casual/mainstream gaming, which essentially translates to "faster and dumber" (as just about anything that caters to the mass populace needs to be). The costs of…well, everything. Hackers attempting to play the role of patriots or revolutionaries or Robin Hoods or whatever the hell they do, which as far as I can tell translates to little more than a massive "look at me" complex.
Somewhere beneath it all lies the simple joy of a video game. I'm sure of it. It's there, even if we have to dig through several layers of slop to find it. No matter how advanced games get, the veteran gamers still play them for the same reasons. And those reasons are really quite tame; it has nothing to do with making a statement, making money, or posturing in any way, shape or form. It's just about living in a fantasy, virtual world for a few hours; an escape that is most necessary, especially these days. I just don't want everyone to lose sight of the heart of gaming because I swear, it still beats. Just focus on that and maybe the rest of it will just…go away.
HAHAH nice one. time to cut your hair from the 80's made me laugh!!!!
Thanks. I just couldn't help it.
Well, its not like I'm thinking about the scummy big business side of gaming when I start up my games, but I'm definitely exposed to it daily through all the news articles across the web.
And sadly, when I do hear all these ridiculous stories about corporate stupidity and hacker personal rights BS, I see the beginnings of the scumminess that is commonly found in the movie and music industries today. A different form of it to be sure, but its definitely similar. Its only going to get worse from here though.
Good editorial Ben. Actually, you always make great editorials that make us think about things, so thank you for that.
Ben, sometimes I feel that your are a poet. Do you like poetry btw?
And that is why I bought Grandia from PSN. Roll on some good times 😉
I have to agree with this article. And I for one miss the old days of videogames. Days where it was about the CONTENT of the game that mattered, where the only selling points of a game were word of mouth between gamers. I recently found a remake of Streets of Rage. A very simple game, but one that was compelling and for a sidescrolling beat-em-up, actually had a good storyline.
I would have to attribute the decline in gaming to the same things that have led to a decline in television programming. Children. The next generation of gamers if you will. More and more I get on Black-Ops, and am annoyed by children, and childish behavior. In one match a 12 year old ran behind me the whole game firing his pistol to give away my position (i had ghost-pro). New gamers want mindlessly attractive fun. They want something that looks awesome and is easy to play, but requires no actual skill level. I am tired of seeing .18 KDR ratios in online shooters. And the dumbing down of button mapping to make it easier for people. There are certainly games that should cater to younger crowds and less hardcore gamers… but when EVERY game begins to do that… that is a huge issue. The original MotorStorm was a huge favorite of mine, because if you didnt take time to master the game, and the tracks, you wouldn't win the races.
My point being is that the new generation wants pretty and simple… not good and compelling, and that seems to be where all publishers are going these days.