DS5: Game Media – homeWork01

In the article, “Death to the Game Industry”, Greg Constikyan points out the stagnation that has occurred with the gaming industry. That the large gaming companies play it safe by hedging their bets on mediocre updates to “branded” games instead of investing in innovative and creative gameplay design. This is despite the advances in computing and graphics and the increasing population of interested gamers. In short he is attacking the business model by with these companies run.

I largely agree with Constikyan's arguments. The last console game I had any interest on was Katamari Damacy, a game based on making a snowball. I was attracted to it because it had innovative gameplay coupled with great graphics and sound design. Currently, console games like this are far and few between. I end up spending far more time playing online games because of this reason. With online games the developer is limited to what they can do with graphics and sound. To be successful, the developer has to come up with innovation in gameplay as it's the only element not greatly effected by the download limitations. This is the opposite of large 3D console games that lack innovation, often reusing the same old 3D engine with slightly updated textures. A trick that seems a bit long it the tooth.

I see game developers following a similar root as independent /punk musicians took. Instead of trying to to get “signed” to a big “label” to instead focus their energy of creating their own distribution system and development systems. This network is already largely in place with the internet. The obvious problem still being money for development. For smaller developers to be competitive they need to work for a fraction of the cost, offering interesting products and marketing them outside of the console system.

Ultimately, this is the consumers decision. If they keep buying mediocre upgrades then they are to blame for the stagnation. There will probably always be a desire for the newest, most polished, “glitzy” game. But the more gameplay is ignored the more small developers will have an opportunity to make better games and in theory attract gamers away from the repackaged high budget blockbusters.