Sunday, May 11, 2008
Developers, critics, gamers and analysts weigh in: What they loved, what they learned, what they worried about.
Dec 22, 2004 | Editor's Note: Salon's longtime game reviewer, Wagner James Au, is now thoroughly ensconced within the industry he once covered for us. But since, as we learned recently, everyone in the gaming biz is now hopelesslessly overworked, Au could not find the time to sum up the year in gaming for Salon. So he did the next best thing: He rifled his Rolodex for a swath of experts -- developers, critics, analysts -- and asked them for their thoughts.
The result is below, roughly divided into three categories: a look back at the significant trends (or lack thereof) in gaming this past year, an idiosyncratic handful of mini-reviews of notable games, and a sobering look at some of the burgeoning problems in the world of computer gaming.
The trends
I think we're firmly in the age of the blockbuster now, and I don't know how I feel about that. Most of the biggest games of the year were "events" that cost a crazy amount of money to develop and took many, many years to polish and get right. That's a bit of a scary trend, because I don't see where it stops --projects will get bigger, teams will grow, tech will continue to become more important, and all the rising costs will inevitably lead to fewer risks in design. I'm a sucker for unusual and innovative games, so this worries me.
On the other hand, I am seeing a rise in interesting indie games. Stuff like "Gish, the physics platformer, and the emphasis on new control mechanisms that we see with games like "Karaoke Revolution," "Donkey Konga," "EyeToy" and the touch screen on the Nintendo DS sure feel like the industry pushing in some new directions.
-- Raph Koster
Raph Koster is chief creative officer for Sony Online Entertainment, overseeing games such as "EverQuest II," "Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed" and "PlanetSide: Aftershock." His new book, "A Theory of Fun for Game Design," has just been published.
The continuing and lamentable "E.A.-ization" of the conventional games industry: consolidation into a handful of publishers with developers organized into dronelike factories and teams of dozens or hundreds, and eight-figure budgets.
The more hopeful burgeoning of mobile and downloadable games, offering an alternative distribution channel for (potentially) more innovative product.
-- Greg Costikyan
Greg Costikyan is a longtime game developer, currently working as a researcher for Nokia Research Center. His most recent games are the mobile-based "Alien Rush," and "Paranoia XP," the new edition of his award-winning tabletop role-playing game set.
Games like "Half-Life 2" and "Halo 2" integrated physics and complex character-animation technology -- creating Hollywood-quality "entertainment" in the game space. "Fable," "Thief 2" and "Deus Ex 2" tried to blend that directed, narrative action with a more open-ended simulation. "The Sims 2" pushed simulation even further -- giving its characters emotion, fears and desires.
What I'm interested in is the intersection of these three movements. How can we blend "entertainment" (where you watch stuff happen and think "wow -- that was cool!") with open-ended play (where you make stuff happen and think "wow -- I did that!"). Can we take those blends and add characters that really ... tug at our heartstrings -- either because we directed them and they grew on us -- or because we talked and adventured with them -- and they impressed us?
There is a lot of work to be done here -- in academia and commercial development. I am excited to see where various projects and collaborations (in graphics, A.I. and game design) take us over the next few years.
-- Robin Hunicke
Robin Hunicke is finishing her Ph.D. at Northwestern University in A.I. and games. Her thesis work is on dynamic game adjustment -- making games adjust in real time to individual players.
The whole idea of emergent gameplay -- [player-driven "narrative gameplay," in which unique, unplanned events result from the players' interactions with the A.I. and the environment] -- really seems to be taking off. I mean, it used to just be Origin and Looking Glass making (frankly) nichey games that focused on player-driven experiences. Then "Deus Ex" (if I may...), "Grand Theft Auto 3"-"Vice City"-"San Andreas," "Fable" and others came along to take the idea to new levels of player control and mainstream acceptability. Now, emergent gameplay is popping up all over. About bloody time, if you ask me!
-- Warren Spector
Warren Spector is the former studio director of Ion Storm, producers of "Deus Ex 2." He is "working on setting up a new gig, but nothing to announce just yet."
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