I think it goes without saying that I, being on The Escapist, love games. However, the game industry has no shortage of ways to make me dissapointed, even mad. So here are a few things that I think need to change in games in order to help legitimize and strengthen the medium.
1: Stop 3D before it's too late.
Don't get me wrong, 3D is a nice concept, a nice little novelty. But as with films, 3D doesn't really add much to the experience of playing, it just makes the visuals look blurry and unfocused, and really isn't as immersive as developers would have you believe. Not that I am objected to 3D games entirely, I just don't want to see it become a trend like with films nowadays, where a parade of mediocre titles gain great success because they're in 3D. We've made games look amazing already, let's not cheapen it with an overrated novelty.
2: Move away from motion controls.
Yeah, the Wii was neat for a while, and yeah it sold a lot, who cares? But can you honestly name a game that involves motion controls that would be less fun without them? Most of the best games on the Wii use very little of the console's wiggle and waggle hoopla, so why not just go with what works? All the greatest games that have come out of the industry have been controller based (FACT), but gimmicky ones like the Wii and Kinect and that Playstation... thing... have sold like crazy. So yeah, keep motion controls, but focus more on the games without them, because those are the games with more potential to be great.
3: Stop making COD clones.
Honestly. It's getting pretty ridiculous.
4. Stop making COD clones that are not mature or tactful in any way.
I'd be okay with modern war games if they were able to teach me something about war or human nature, or speak to some sort of emotion in a way that only a game could. That would be great, and if that game existed, I would hold it up high and laud it to everybody I know. Too bad it doesn't.
5: Stop making foreign countries into your patriot scapegoats.
I'm looking at you, America. Games like Homefront are honestly the most sickening and horrible examples of what I hate about war games: the use of actual contries as the villains. COD did it with Russia, Homefront with North Korea, and so on. I get using the Middle East as a setting, because that's a little more topical considering America has real conflicts going on there, but Russia and North Korea? Come on. America hasn't been at war with either (the Cold War doesn't count), and in Russia's case is even on good terms with them. Why make people of other nations out to be barbaric and inhumane when things like that have not even happened?
6: Bury Duke Nukem Forever
Let's just forget that ever happened and move on, yes?
And 7: Write better stories.
Would it not be awesome to have a game that is written by an acclaimed writer? Have a game based more around story than gameplay, but still have great gameplay too? I think the problem with a lot of stories in games is that they're written by gamers, and therefore don't translate as well as fiction. Many games do excell in that area, like Bioshock and Mass Effect, but the industry as a whole needs work. I don't think there has been a Godfather or Casablanca of games yet, and I'd like to see it happen. The only way that can occur is through better storytelling. But I hope that is soon to come.
1: Stop 3D before it's too late.
Don't get me wrong, 3D is a nice concept, a nice little novelty. But as with films, 3D doesn't really add much to the experience of playing, it just makes the visuals look blurry and unfocused, and really isn't as immersive as developers would have you believe. Not that I am objected to 3D games entirely, I just don't want to see it become a trend like with films nowadays, where a parade of mediocre titles gain great success because they're in 3D. We've made games look amazing already, let's not cheapen it with an overrated novelty.
2: Move away from motion controls.
Yeah, the Wii was neat for a while, and yeah it sold a lot, who cares? But can you honestly name a game that involves motion controls that would be less fun without them? Most of the best games on the Wii use very little of the console's wiggle and waggle hoopla, so why not just go with what works? All the greatest games that have come out of the industry have been controller based (FACT), but gimmicky ones like the Wii and Kinect and that Playstation... thing... have sold like crazy. So yeah, keep motion controls, but focus more on the games without them, because those are the games with more potential to be great.
3: Stop making COD clones.
Honestly. It's getting pretty ridiculous.
4. Stop making COD clones that are not mature or tactful in any way.
I'd be okay with modern war games if they were able to teach me something about war or human nature, or speak to some sort of emotion in a way that only a game could. That would be great, and if that game existed, I would hold it up high and laud it to everybody I know. Too bad it doesn't.
5: Stop making foreign countries into your patriot scapegoats.
I'm looking at you, America. Games like Homefront are honestly the most sickening and horrible examples of what I hate about war games: the use of actual contries as the villains. COD did it with Russia, Homefront with North Korea, and so on. I get using the Middle East as a setting, because that's a little more topical considering America has real conflicts going on there, but Russia and North Korea? Come on. America hasn't been at war with either (the Cold War doesn't count), and in Russia's case is even on good terms with them. Why make people of other nations out to be barbaric and inhumane when things like that have not even happened?
6: Bury Duke Nukem Forever
Let's just forget that ever happened and move on, yes?
And 7: Write better stories.
Would it not be awesome to have a game that is written by an acclaimed writer? Have a game based more around story than gameplay, but still have great gameplay too? I think the problem with a lot of stories in games is that they're written by gamers, and therefore don't translate as well as fiction. Many games do excell in that area, like Bioshock and Mass Effect, but the industry as a whole needs work. I don't think there has been a Godfather or Casablanca of games yet, and I'd like to see it happen. The only way that can occur is through better storytelling. But I hope that is soon to come.
