Modern Gaming: Is It Evolving?

It's a pretty common question among gamers and industry experts alike; when will this medium evolve into a respectable past time? It's an important question, since stereotypes and negative stigmas still run rampant throughout mainstream culture. I personally believe that yes, gaming will one day be a respected medium. However, exactly when it will happen is a different question entirely.

Will it be 5, 10, or 50 years until gaming completely assimilates into modern culture? I guess it depends on how fast this medium is evolving. However, this implies that the industry is progressing in the first place. And sadly, I couldn't find convincing evidence that this medium is on a positive trajectory. Sure, there are promising signs here and there, but nothing overwhelming to suggest its evolving for the better. So naturally, I've come to the conclusion that no, the industry isn't evolving. In fact, I'd like to make the case that it's actually going in the other direction. Here are 7 reasons the gaming industry, specifically the hardcore, won't be respected anytime soon.

1: Lack on innovation

Generic modern shooters, bland MMORPGs, and countless sequels; it's all been said before. So, instead of reiterating what many others have expressed, let's look at E3 2012 to drive this point home.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2, Halo 4, Dead Space 3, Crysis 3, Gears of War: Judgement, Far Cry 3, God of War: Ascension, Pikman 3, New Super Mario Brothers U, New Super Mario Brothers 2, and Resident Evil 6 are just some of the sequels debuting at this year's E3. While most of these games will probably be great sequels, they employ tried and true mechanics without introducing many innovative ideas. Sure, there's Beyond: Two Souls and Watch Dogs but there's no denying that little else pushed boundaries at E3 2012.

If the industry continues to pump out sequels, how will this medium ever evolve into something more significant? Maybe the industry is in a transition period, where developers are prepping for fresh next generation IP; no one knows for sure. But right now, this industry is becoming boring. There's very little to get excited about and there's no indication that's going to change.

2: Linear, easy games with derivative narratives

The majority of single player campaigns are equivalent to B-level action movies. They're straightforward, action-packed experiences that get your adrenaline pumping. While there's nothing wrong with that type of game, it's just concerning that there are so many titles offering the exact same experience. The primary objectives of these single player campaigns is make the player have fun. Other than that, these narratives are pointless; they have little to no substance.

Now, I'm not an English major or some pretentious critic, I'm just a gamer frustrated and tired of explosions and pointless killing. I'm fine with mindless and over-the-top campaigns once in a while, but not all the time. It'd be nice to play games with a point, a theme. Heck, narratives that are more meaningful don't necessarily have to sacrifice explosions and killing anyway.  Games like Read Dead Redemption, Dues Ex: Human Revolution, and Bioshock are very violent games, but their stories all have something valuable to say. Unfortunately, narratives like these are not at all common.

 

3: Continuous pandering to one demographic

By 2012, many hoped the industry would've moved pasted gruesome violence and large breasts to sell games. Even though the average age of gamers is roughly 37, publishers and developers continue to pander to straight pubescent boys. This has only gotten worse due to increases in memory in polygon count over the years, making this problem more detailed, shocking, and embarrassing. From games like God of War: Ascension and Lollipop Chainsaw, to booth babes and sexism, this industry has made it very clear who video games are for. This problem is so widespread, I question whether this industry will ever mature in this area.

4: The VGAs

Don't be fooled by its misleading name, the Video Game Awards is not an award show, it's a marketing event presented with toilet humor and clueless celebrities. Its purpose is not to celebrate achievements in video games, but to provide publishers an opportunity to market upcoming games to a large crowd. Award shows are supposed to recognize outstanding achievements without the interference of corporate enterprise.  The VGAs do the exact opposite. They emphasise world exclusive trailers rather than celebrating the people behind the games.

As much as people continue to bash him year after year, it's not Geoff Keighly's fault the VGAs are presented this way; it's the average gamer. As much as hardcore gamers hate this event, this industry kind of deserves it.  The VGAs are an incredibly accurate symbol that represents the harsh reality of the industry; both are juvenile and tacky.  If video games had an award show equivalent to The Academy Awards, it would just feel forced and misplaced. This industry just doesn't deserve a high level of recognition yet simply because it lacks maturity. If the industry ever evolves into something more respectable however, I guarantee award shows will evolve alongside it. 

5: Games designed solely to exploit players

The more I distance myself from MMOs, the more I realize just how manipulative they are. MMOs and social games like FarmVille are specifically designed to keep people playing. They don't provide epic, sweeping narratives like RPGs do. Nor can players advance their skills by practicing and strategising like most multiplayer games. Instead, they consist of players advancing their characters through tedious, long grinds and random loot drops.

This genre is so drastically different from any other genre that I question whether "video game" is the correct classification. Players can't win these games, nor can they improve their skills without the game allowing it. Their narratives are largely unimportant and exist solely to soften the long, rough grind to the level cap. But debating whether or not they're video games is beside the point. The point is that these games don't rely on intriguing narratives or intricate gameplay; they rely on one, very exploitative mechanic: the Skinner box.

These games are simply giant Skinner boxes to keep players engaged to subsequently spend more money. They utilize the social experience to drive players to want to be better than their guildies, friends, and everyone else. At its core, an MMO is a fancy social network with addictive meta game elements (which are more or less slot machines). When you get down to it, modern MMOs are just more mature, expensive FaceBook games. They both have the same purpose; they're ruthlessly manipulative and exist solely to make a profit.

Look, MMOs can be a lot of fun, and I'm in no way suggesting that these games shouldn't exist. However, exploiting players this blatantly is a concern and could potentially get worse. Take Diablo 3 for instance and its Real Money Auction House (RMAH). Diablo 3 hinges upon the same Skinner box mechanics noted above, but Blizzard have taken one step further; the ability to sell loot to other players for real money. This could, and maybe already has, cheapened the experience of obtaining rare gear, distracting enjoyment from the game in the process. Players may be more obsessed with the RMAH and making money than actually enjoying the game itself. If this or other similar models are widely adopted by developers, then we should all be very worried.

6: DLC practices 

I'll admit, bad DLC practices don't really devalue the medium as much as some of the other points listed here, but I feel it's an important issue to briefly touch upon. From a gamer perspective, day one DLC is getting out of hand. Chopping off segments of the game and selling it when the game launches is bad enough, but ripping vital content is just ridiculous.  Mass Effect 3's From Ashes DLC is a prime example. The DLC contained content that is highly relevant throughout the entire trilogy and was sold, on Mass Effect 3's launch for $10.00. What's worse is that From Ashes sold very well. Unfortunately, day one DLC is very profitable for the publisher, meaning most gamers are happy to pay for it.  As long as consumers are willing to purchase it, it's unlikely these DLC practices will change anytime soon.

7: Broadening the appeal of established franchises 

Changing a once unique franchise to include a multiplayer component, a lower difficulty curve, more action, or less gore seems to be a very common occurrence in today's industry. When fundamentals of established franchises are changed to appeal to more audiences, it's understandable that devoted fans get frustrated. If it wasn't so prevalent, this trend wouldn't be of very high concern. Unfortunately, many franchises have experienced these alterations like the Dead Space, Mass Effect, Ninja Gaiden, Resident Evil, and Dragon Age franchises to name a few.

This trend is concerning not only because it betrays devoted fans, but because it stuns diversity in terms of game experiences. The AAA horror genre is lost now that Dead Space and Resident Evil emphasize cooperative, action-packed play, Mass Effect's distinctive 80's sci-fi tone is replaced with a modern, action oriented atmosphere, and Ninja Gaiden's complexity is nowhere to be found in its latest installment. Beloved franchises are slowing sacrificing their proprietary experiences in exchange for generic and boring entertainment. The AAA industry has shrunk in terms of variety, reinforcing that the hardcore is truly becoming a niche market.

To end on a slightly more positive note, I'm fairly confident the industry will move past not all, but many of the topics on this list. There are small glimmers of hope scattered throughout the industry, fulfilling the potential this medium is capable of achieving. However, these are mere anomalies among a sea of stagnation. I'm optimistic this medium will mature eventually, but like Alfred said in The Dark Knight, "things will get worse before they get better."