God Save The UK Developer?

Thanks to TotalGames.net for its GamesTM-reprinted feature on the alleged fall of the British game developer. The piece argues: "It all used to be so different in the Eighties. Ignoring any rose-tinted arguments about whether games back then were better, worse or more peanut butter-flavoured, the inarguable statement can be made that they were certainly more British." But now, even though "the most popular game of this new decade - Grand Theft Auto - is British, despite all of Rockstar's attempts to hide the fact", the piece laments the lack of distinctive UK games with Python-esque worldwide impact: "Of course, it doesn't cost £5 million to pick up a pen and start writing a sketch about parrots, but surely the odd very obviously British game could be smuggled through?"

Comments

Most Popular Game

[Deliveranc3]

Most popular game? Oh you mean CS... um I don't think it's british.

When I was in Britain the people seemed kind of depressed, I think that might be why they don't make games.

Re:Most Popular Game

[easychord]

I don't see why anyone would have any reason to be depressed with you around.

Re:Ironic

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh... We did.

Then we gave it back.

Re:The national culture of games

[orthogonal]

Finally, I wonder whether I'm just being a bit over-stereotypical. I mean, there is a "British feel", sure. But how often does that come out in games

Yes, the fact that Grand Theft auto is British, but that's considered a dirty little secret to be suppressed, is telling.

British gaming needs to take inspiration from its love of its own culture, and not, as the Beatles sung, "hide that love away".

I suggest the following games:

• Stiff Upper Lip the game of not showing emotion, set in the dehumanizing and homoerotic milieu of the British Public school;
• Sounds Like Class in which the gamer determines the birthplace, social class, and future prospects of a series of avatars, based solely on their accents;
• Fun with Football the irreverent, off-the-field game of being the most violent soccer hooligan you can be;
• MotherF****r of Parliaments, in which the player competes to come up with the most inventive insults in a Parliamentary session, without going so far as to call down the wrath of the Speaker of the House;
• Partition!, a strategy game in which the end of Empire gives the player, "Lord Mountbatten" the opportunity to create two countries and 60 years of enmity between them;
• and Bad-Teeth!, the game of identifying British ex-pats all over the world.