This was originally written for another site (gameonyou.co.uk), but i'd like to see your opinions on the discussion...
It?s interesting how the games industry is going in two very different directions at imagethe moment. On the one hand you have Indie games, which often defy the boundaries of genre and move in very unexpected directions due to the lack of financial restriction and on the other hand we have mainstream, commercial games? the ones which you?re going to see on store shelves. Commercial games which move in a straight line? forwards.
These are the games which are instantly recognisable as you pick them up - your Call of Dutys, your Ridge Racers and your [insert generic MMORPG here]. These are the games which never stray far from the pre-defined genres of FPS or what have you. They move forwards through the means of technology and experience, meaning you?ll always have a recognisable gameplay experience which you can jump straight into, while acknowledging the differences brought in by aforementioned technology and experience.
On the binary opposite side of things, we have the Indie games. The games which bring you new experiences every time, the games which bring you beautiful and original artistic direction but, however the games which you won?t want to be playing all the time (an inaccessibility which will ensure that they will rarely make it into the mainstream). These games make use of experience taken from game development, but apply them to making something which, on paper may not even look like a game? they aren?t polished (and they never will be as few Indie games are like one another).
The point which I am trying to make evident is that we need to open our eyes to what the future of the industry may hold. While the mainstream side of things could continue way into the future and continue to be successful, is it really how we want gaming to continue? Grand Theft Auto 4 is a prime example. It was released earlier this year, and was a big disappointment to most who had played the previous games. It made use of the latest technology and the developers great experience with programming, but a lack of originality makes it a unmemorable chapter in gaming history, despite the various prophecies preached by members of the gaming community before it?s release.
It seems that the current situation in the industry has taken heed of this fact on a small part. Many games are taking some concepts used in the development of Indie games and are applying it the their game design. Take E.A. for example? they have recently turned their titanic company away from the impending iceberg which competitors like Ubisoft and Activision seem to be hurtling towards and they have started injecting fresh originality into their games (albeit for competitive purposes)? such as Skate. That took a game concept and not only applied technology and experience, but also turned the genre on it?s head, bringing something nobody had expected into Skateboarding games. Another example is Guitar Hero, where EA try to add things to the genre such as Rock Band, which added multiple instruments to the original Guitar-based formula which left confused corporate rivals Activision to stumble and do what any other big company would do? copy. Activision is a company which didn?t expect fellow evil monopoly EA to change, and neither did we. All it left them doing was continuing in the fashion such companies do.
Ubisoft also seem to be changing their company for the better, with such changes as the revamped Prince of Persia, which boasts an art-style which could put many an Indie game to shame, and Assassin?s Creed which, while not a AAA title (by any means) it did bring something new to platforming, along with an original storyline (Don?t get me started on Bioshock or Half-Life as I could go on all day about this!).
Does this then, spell the death of the Indie game? With titles like Mirror?s Edge, Spore and the new Prince of Persia on the horizon, it could be the case that they are a dying breed. I think Indie games will adapt to the new mainstream and continue to live strong on the sidelines of gaming culture, bringing us even more unexpected originality to the industry, showing the big boys how it?s done.
Not only am I excited for the new breed of Mainstream and Indie games, but I am also intrigued as to why the film industry hasn?t one the same way. Independent and Art-House film currently live alongside the Mainstream blockbuster hits, but how long will it be before the huge studios take note of what these small-time filmmakers are doing? I can?t wait to find out!
Thoughts?
It?s interesting how the games industry is going in two very different directions at imagethe moment. On the one hand you have Indie games, which often defy the boundaries of genre and move in very unexpected directions due to the lack of financial restriction and on the other hand we have mainstream, commercial games? the ones which you?re going to see on store shelves. Commercial games which move in a straight line? forwards.
These are the games which are instantly recognisable as you pick them up - your Call of Dutys, your Ridge Racers and your [insert generic MMORPG here]. These are the games which never stray far from the pre-defined genres of FPS or what have you. They move forwards through the means of technology and experience, meaning you?ll always have a recognisable gameplay experience which you can jump straight into, while acknowledging the differences brought in by aforementioned technology and experience.
On the binary opposite side of things, we have the Indie games. The games which bring you new experiences every time, the games which bring you beautiful and original artistic direction but, however the games which you won?t want to be playing all the time (an inaccessibility which will ensure that they will rarely make it into the mainstream). These games make use of experience taken from game development, but apply them to making something which, on paper may not even look like a game? they aren?t polished (and they never will be as few Indie games are like one another).
The point which I am trying to make evident is that we need to open our eyes to what the future of the industry may hold. While the mainstream side of things could continue way into the future and continue to be successful, is it really how we want gaming to continue? Grand Theft Auto 4 is a prime example. It was released earlier this year, and was a big disappointment to most who had played the previous games. It made use of the latest technology and the developers great experience with programming, but a lack of originality makes it a unmemorable chapter in gaming history, despite the various prophecies preached by members of the gaming community before it?s release.
It seems that the current situation in the industry has taken heed of this fact on a small part. Many games are taking some concepts used in the development of Indie games and are applying it the their game design. Take E.A. for example? they have recently turned their titanic company away from the impending iceberg which competitors like Ubisoft and Activision seem to be hurtling towards and they have started injecting fresh originality into their games (albeit for competitive purposes)? such as Skate. That took a game concept and not only applied technology and experience, but also turned the genre on it?s head, bringing something nobody had expected into Skateboarding games. Another example is Guitar Hero, where EA try to add things to the genre such as Rock Band, which added multiple instruments to the original Guitar-based formula which left confused corporate rivals Activision to stumble and do what any other big company would do? copy. Activision is a company which didn?t expect fellow evil monopoly EA to change, and neither did we. All it left them doing was continuing in the fashion such companies do.
Ubisoft also seem to be changing their company for the better, with such changes as the revamped Prince of Persia, which boasts an art-style which could put many an Indie game to shame, and Assassin?s Creed which, while not a AAA title (by any means) it did bring something new to platforming, along with an original storyline (Don?t get me started on Bioshock or Half-Life as I could go on all day about this!).
Does this then, spell the death of the Indie game? With titles like Mirror?s Edge, Spore and the new Prince of Persia on the horizon, it could be the case that they are a dying breed. I think Indie games will adapt to the new mainstream and continue to live strong on the sidelines of gaming culture, bringing us even more unexpected originality to the industry, showing the big boys how it?s done.
Not only am I excited for the new breed of Mainstream and Indie games, but I am also intrigued as to why the film industry hasn?t one the same way. Independent and Art-House film currently live alongside the Mainstream blockbuster hits, but how long will it be before the huge studios take note of what these small-time filmmakers are doing? I can?t wait to find out!
Thoughts?