Games are all about money, not love of games ... or are they?
I saw this thread on Slashdot about how the major game companies have lost their love for games and replaced it with love of money. It points to an article about how the game industry cares nothing about gameplay any more.
A rebuttal was posted thereafter basically saying that the problem is not with the game industry but with the perception of the game industry.
What do you think? Whereas I certainly do not begrudge game makers their desire to make money, have the big game companies lost touch with what gamers - serious gamers - are looking for? Is now the percet time for independent like TTG to break forth and return gaming to the glory days when games from independent companies were the best games to have?
A rebuttal was posted thereafter basically saying that the problem is not with the game industry but with the perception of the game industry.
What do you think? Whereas I certainly do not begrudge game makers their desire to make money, have the big game companies lost touch with what gamers - serious gamers - are looking for? Is now the percet time for independent like TTG to break forth and return gaming to the glory days when games from independent companies were the best games to have?
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Comments
Therein lies the problem. Financially speaking 'serious gamers' aren't worth $$$. The casual market is huge in comparision and is where all the real cash lies.
Thats not to say there isn't away to appease both groups. Nintendo tends to do a good job broadening their gameplay appeal to casual and 'serious' gamers but tends to miss the mark on marketing and volume of content.
Is there a way to profit on casual gamers and appease the more serious? Absolutely. It just takes more effort than cranking out a liscensed sequel so more companies are hesitant to do it. It takes a certain sort of crazy carefree aloofness for ones personal well being to trade in a sure thing for a long shot. That being said the game industry isn't much older than 20. It's growing into itself and we're still growing into ourselves.
For an industry thats so technology centric, theres a lot of bells and whistles to get over before we can focus back on content. Remember when Movies frivilously used 3d at every oppertunity just because it was 'new'... granted, they still do that, but its starting to get reigned back to cases where its cost effective / more appropriate. Now that we're reaching a point where graphics will get prettier, but not that much prettier.. people can focus back on gameplay.
Have patience, its been a long, awkward puberty.
Well that's the thing. Way back when good games used to come from the big companies.
That's almost certainly the case. Even further, there's probably a significant market for people who don't even play video games. It's high time companies start targeting them instead of confining themselves and appealing to what is only a small portion of the audience.
I really like a lot of the points the rebuttal makes though, even if I'm not in total agreement. Excellent read.
That reminds me of the new Star Wars movies. Everytime Yoda spoke there was a mysterious jedi standing behind him holding a glass of water to his mouth. I think I would have rather had a CGI Yoda there.
I don't like the term "serious gamers". Serious gamers? What's it meant to mean anway? Is it talking about all the gamers who buy games because their afraid not to? I don't take games seriously at all. I play them, enjoy them. Does that male me a casual or serious gamer?
Tell that to Looking Glass
Witness the runaway success of The Sims.
Yes most "gamers" do, the point being of course that a company makes a game for an uncatered to market outside the normal Gaming Sphere - and has a HUGE hit on their hands.
Also Will Wright, the creator of The Sims (and Sim City et al) is a great guy. He spoke at that GDC about his mission to decrease game designers' dependence on the distributors need for money by decreasing overhead. His next game "spore" will cost way less than the Sims to produce, while providing a brand new experience for gamers.