The Games Industry's 2007 Resolutions

Gamasutra has a piece up from earlier this week, with some late New Year's resolutions for the games industry. Their frequently-done 'Question of the Week' series pulled in comments from game developers and designers working right now, with their hopes for the best in 2007. From the article: "Now that 2006 is over can we finally stop worrying about who's going to win the console war and start focusing on the games? Arguing about which next-gen system is the best is as silly as arguing about which five-star restaurant has the finest china and silverware. It's the food on the plate that matters to the customers after all. With any luck we'll see delicious games with plenty of innovation on all of the platforms this year! - Patrick Curry, Midway Games"

Comments

Wii is great, but don't forget about adults!

[smartyknickers]

I love my Wii - I think its a fantastic addition to the world of gaming as a whole; my grandparents now understand why its fun to play!

but lets not forget that more 'serious' gamers need more serious games; with mature themes. Why is everyone's first thought at the mention of Doom, Quake, Gears of War, etc just "oooh but the children..." - sod the children that's what the ratings and parental controls are for!

Just strikes me as weird that there can be this dualism to it all - and a total inability for people to draw parallels between films with their ratings systems and games (even though it was video nasties everyone was complaining about 20 years ago...)

</rant>

Re:Wii is great, but don't forget about adults!

[grammar fascist]

but lets not forget that more 'serious' gamers need more serious games; with mature themes.

Why does "serious games" == "mature themes"? Can someone explain this to me? How does violence and sex make something more mature?

I'm 30. Is it mostly teenagers that think this way?

Re:Wii is great, but don't forget about adults!

[westlake]

Can someone explain this to me? How does violence and sex make something more mature?

It's a question worth asking. You look at a game like Fallout or Planescape: Torment. Rich in ideas. Fascinating setting. Not without humor or a sense of tragedy. To me, that is mature.

Even though there are times I want to shut down all higher brain functions for a quick game of Bikini Beach Deathmatch Nude Teenage Volleyball: The Game of the Year Edition.

The Gamers' 2007 Resolution:

[cibyr]

Stop bitching when better graphics come out. Yes, gameplay makes the game - but good graphics can enable new gameplay and at the same time improve immersion. Even if someone produces a content-devoid shiny-graphics game to show off their new engine (Doom 3 anyone?), having a better engine is still a good thing and there's nothing stopping someone making a good game with it (Quake 4 anyone?).

In short: stop bitching. Vote with your wallet, and realize that game companies that don't want to develop their own engines will also vote with theirs.