Next-Gen Fears - Part 1: The Unfocused Generation
I've been infatuated with games my whole life. It started off simply as solving puzzles like mazes and word searches. The love then manifested itself in the form of board games like chess and Scrabble and Monopoly and Risk. Then came video games and, well, it was pretty much over after that -- they have filled that void up to this very day. And though my "gaming" source has changed drastically throughout my life, they all have provided me with the same thing: a fun mental challenge as a diversion.
In my previous post, I had hinted that I was dreading the direction video gaming was heading, given the keynotes by the Big 3 at E3 this year. We all know that they are the driving forces of the gaming industry because they make the gaming consoles. These consoles define the rules by which all game-makers have to play. But this presents us with a problem: those who are in charge of video games may no longer have the proper focus.
I am, in particular, fearful of what Sony and Microsoft are doing. The problem with these two monolithic companies is that they both have roots in non-gaming areas. Microsoft has the whole PC market. Sony has ties to the movie and music industry. As a result, they end up with hidden agendas to promote these other areas using their gaming systems. For example, Microsoft can give people more reason to stick to their OS's because Live Anywhere will allow you to play your 360 Live Arcade games on devices installed with them. Sony is using the PS3 to promote its Blu-Ray format over HD-DVD. And both machines are trying to become your household's media hub -- the source of your games, your movies, and your music.
It's this lack of focus that could derail the gaming industry. The people in charge of making consoles need to focus on making good platforms for games and games alone. My PSP, for example, had been collecting dust forever. I never watched movies on it, played music on it, surfed the web on it... I just wanted a fun game to play on the pretty screen (and, luckily, have since found one). And given that the UMD movie format is failing, I am apprently not the only one who just wants games on their PSP.
Next up: Part 2 - What About Nintendo?
- jchensor
In my previous post, I had hinted that I was dreading the direction video gaming was heading, given the keynotes by the Big 3 at E3 this year. We all know that they are the driving forces of the gaming industry because they make the gaming consoles. These consoles define the rules by which all game-makers have to play. But this presents us with a problem: those who are in charge of video games may no longer have the proper focus.
I am, in particular, fearful of what Sony and Microsoft are doing. The problem with these two monolithic companies is that they both have roots in non-gaming areas. Microsoft has the whole PC market. Sony has ties to the movie and music industry. As a result, they end up with hidden agendas to promote these other areas using their gaming systems. For example, Microsoft can give people more reason to stick to their OS's because Live Anywhere will allow you to play your 360 Live Arcade games on devices installed with them. Sony is using the PS3 to promote its Blu-Ray format over HD-DVD. And both machines are trying to become your household's media hub -- the source of your games, your movies, and your music.
It's this lack of focus that could derail the gaming industry. The people in charge of making consoles need to focus on making good platforms for games and games alone. My PSP, for example, had been collecting dust forever. I never watched movies on it, played music on it, surfed the web on it... I just wanted a fun game to play on the pretty screen (and, luckily, have since found one). And given that the UMD movie format is failing, I am apprently not the only one who just wants games on their PSP.
Next up: Part 2 - What About Nintendo?
- jchensor
posted by jchensor at
1:41 AM
1 Comments:
i don't want to be naggy. but i'm afraid of this generation. they play digital games too much. the world doesn't work with scoring. kids need to learn playing the games of the old...
i'm not buying a child any gaming device. :P
By
Snow, at 12:37 AM
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