Lack of innovation in gaming.

[Tynan]

If I have put this in the wrong section feel free to move.


But to the real point of this thread. I honestly feel there is going to be another good decline in gaming. Maybe not in the graphic or how you control it. But with the real meat of the game.

I feel that there is a lack of innovative stories in the games. Most games I have played are just about you are a person and you go from place to place killing baddies until you save the princess from the evil guy. Or race from one side of the track to the other. If you really just stand back and look at them its all the same game with different characters.

To the point of the thread. Am I the only one that really sees it going on?

[how.we.operate.]

I do get what you mean. It honestly depends on what games you are into and looking at.

From a company's perspective, the popularity of gaming is booming so companies have to chug games out-they need to make profit some way.

Art/visuals are definitely improving...but depending on the company, I do feel that there is a lack of creativity. There are definitely some great games out there where your mind is blown, but you do have to look hard for these.
One thing I do have to say is that games stem off of other games. If a certain type of game becomes extremely popular, it is more than likely that companies will make their "version" of that type of game.

[Kanye West]

Many of the popular titles released (or soon to be released) come from existing franchises. That's what the consumers want. The same argument could be made for movies as well. Everyone is cool watching/playing the same stories over and over again. I don't blame a video game developer pumping out already successful ideas and repackaging it into a slightly different game. It's the safe and most profitable route. If you don't have that flagship franchise, you get screwed like THQ.

The big reason for the decline of console video games (in my opinion) is the innovation of technology. There are so many different entertainment mediums nowadays that playing Angry Birds or Tiny Towers on your iPhone is a more convenient and more fun way to play games. Those games don't indulge in long narratives. Many console video games are narratives first, and most people don't want to sit down for even 10 hours anymore a finish a narrative for an FPS campaign mode. They're more likely to jump into multiplayer right away, where the satisfaction of playing comes much quicker.

This is why I find the Mario games so refreshing, even though they've been around forever. The storyline in them is bullshit, but the actual gaming and puzzles are more often than not brilliant. It's worth sitting 15+ hours to finish the game.

I think that there should be more of a focus on the actual gameplay rather than the narratives behind the gameplay.

[Power Cosmic]

The risk averse nature of the games industry is due mainly to big publishers stifling the creativity of the teams, it's why even Bioware has it's off releases. Nintendo are one of the worst for their lack of creative innovation, but at the same time, there's people like you who like their games, which brings one to the other part of the issue;

There's loads of people out there with loads of different tastes, and due to the relative youth of the industry, coupled with the fact that even a moderately successful games needs millions pumped into it to even start being profitable (due to the fact that publishers give the developers x millions to make the game, and then when the game starts selling, the first x millions the game makes goes to the publishers rather than the developer, who has to find a way to stay in business until then, if that ever happens.

Keep in mind the reason why guitar hero was discontinued. It wasn't since it wasn't profitable. It was since it wasn't profitable enough. Money is the reason behind it all, unfortunately.

EDIT: Basically, that's actually why developers will be putting out the same releases, slightly modified, since that's all a publisher will fund really. Plus, when it comes to narrative and all that, the great unwashed masses wouldn't know a good story if they were beaten upside the head with it, and hence they make do with superficial shite, packaged in a mass of more superficial shite that makes up the gameplay. Why? The truth is the masses don't WANT change, unless there's an extended marketing campaign designed to beat the change into their thick skulls >.>.

Apologies if I sound bitter, but I have the right to be, as a games design student, I'm resigned to the fact that I'll most likely spend most of my time in the industry QA testing My Little Pony 4, the Ponying, part 2 for 100 hours a week, having to write a 3000 word report on every bug, only for most of them to be ignored since someone higher up says "They probably won't come across that one".

[Kanye West]

@Janos

I think Nintendo is definitely guilty of not giving older gamers options on their consoles, which sucks since the 18-35 range makes up most of the consumers. Personally, I would love them to at least try to innovate outside of another Mario, Kirby, Zelda, DK game. I like the Mario games though and I like being able to play some games without a story. With that being said, I also like playing games like Disgaea, Demon's Souls, Fallout 3 that require the time and effort.

It's not just video games though that lack innovation - it's music, movies, television, etc. People have so many choices for entertainment and so little time, that they don't want to use their time trying out something new.

[Lugez]

Gaming has gotten a bit stale. But I don't know if I want to blame the creators, or perhaps myself because I'm just older.

But do remember that there are gems out there (I'm having a good time with Dark Souls, game of the year so far imo). Every game isn't going to be a giant masterpiece and it's unfair to expect everyone to create the next Zelda OOT.

Also, I think there's a ton of people out there who forget to take off their "nostalgia glasses" (I'm guilty too). We've come a long way in gaming in the past 25 years. And to be honest, I'm overall quite happy with where we've ended up. Great games have consistently been coming out and I don't think I've experienced a "stale" year for gaming.

[Maverick.]

I've noticed first person shooters are the only games that sell well. Not everyone is into halo, call of duty, gears of war etc.

As far as new games/series, I been playing a lot of professor layton games. Besides that, I haven't really played that many video games in the past couple years. I worked at a gamestop for the last four years and it's basically been a wreck.

[Kanye West]

Originally Posted by Lugez

Gaming has gotten a bit stale. But I don't know if I want to blame the creators, or perhaps myself because I'm just older.

But do remember that there are gems out there (I'm having a good time with Dark Souls, game of the year so far imo). Every game isn't going to be a giant masterpiece and it's unfair to expect everyone to create the next Zelda OOT.

Also, I think there's a ton of people out there who forget to take off their "nostalgia glasses" (I'm guilty too). We've come a long way in gaming in the past 25 years. And to be honest, I'm overall quite happy with where we've ended up. Great games have consistently been coming out and I don't think I've experienced a "stale" year for gaming.

I think the nostalgia point is dead on, which I'm guilty of myself. The thing about nostalgia is that it's easier to have it in 1990 compared to 2011. The lack of entertainment options in 1990 pretty much forced you to play the same game over and over again. For me anyways, when I'm done a game, it's on to the next one because there are so many more options.. and that's what's the money maker. The need to buy all these different games out there that someone can't just appreciate all the nuances of one game in multiple playthroughs.

I'd love to get a chance to play Dark Souls. Demons Souls is a refreshing game in the current video game landscape and I'd like to see developers make games like this where it's more about the amazing gameplay rather than the story.

[Tynan]

I do have to say the lot of you are right on that most publishers want to stay safe and make most profit.
Which from a business standpoint its only a short term profit. Because sooner or later most gamers will notice that every popular game that is released its just the same game with slightly better graphics.

And I do have to say I really want to try out dark souls or demon souls mainly because I've heard they are hard as hell. And I do love a good challenge.