In the grand scheme of things, video games are a relatively new development. Other forms of media have had hundreds of years to perfect themselves into sharp, well-developed styles of entertainment that do their job quickly and efficiently. The novel, for example, is an age-old tool to tell a story and over the many years it has existed it has gone through many changes, for good and for bad.
Video games, on the other hand, do not have the luxury of a long-standing history. Much of what could be called the history of gaming is being written here and now, with the developments we see as current news acting as the pillars for what will come at a later date. The consoles we play on will inevitably influence the next generation of gaming devices for good or for bad; we are in the midst of an integral period in the growth of a new media.
Unfortunately, this period in history is also one of general stagnation. Microsoft and Sony continue to produce the same machines with better graphics and minor changes with console standbys to accompany their release. Nintendo, one of the most innovative corporations in the modern market, has taken a lateral step with the Wii U rather than a step forward and this choice has left a gaping hole in the market for something to spice up the world of video games. Publishers have stopped trying to hide their pursuit of profit in favor of quality or consumer enjoyment and the market continues to suffer from egregious prices and lacking originality. If the Golden Age of gaming was the PS2/Gamecube/Xbox generation, I'd say it's pretty safe to call this a depression.
Consequently, we have a responsibility as members of the gaming community. Mediums of entertainment do not grow without change and the gaming community has become a place where tradition has begun to take the place of innovation and 'innovation' manifests itself as a fancy new controller or a new setting for the same tired game with a new coat of paint. Even some issues with the systems themselves can be traced back to players and their outcry over the changes being made to the old formula.
The reason Sony and Microsoft have made the same system three times in a row now is due entirely to the pandering they feel they need to do to their fans to make sure the system they produce will sell. I would even argue that Nintendo's choice of a gamepad-style controller was an appeal to a generation that grew up on iPads and iPhones; Nintendo knew that if they wanted to succeed they had to branch away from the typical market of gamers who would be more hesitant to embrace a change that was a bit too drastic or made too many changes all at once. What I'm saying boils down to this'we have to not only be open to change, we have to demand some.
Now, please understand, I am NOT in favor of a massive overhaul of the way everything is done in the world of gaming. I believe that tradition is tradition for a reason, and that what is good in a game should be noted and used for later games if at all feasible.
However, would it be so bad if Link showed up as a girl? Would the world end if Call of Duty was about something more than just a generic white guy with a gun in a dingy brown/grey color scheme? Can we get a Final Fantasy game where everyone's hair is at least somewhat believable?
I suppose my point is this'without embracing change, without investing our money in something chancy, we will inevitably see the same games made repeatedly forever.
Our dollars are votes, and if we buy only what we know, that's all we'll ever see. We have to believe in innovation enough to spend money on it. Get on Steam and buy an indie game you think you'd like at full price. Fund an IndieGoGo for a game that you think could work. Write your favorite publisher a letter and tell them what you like and what you'd change.
Use your voice, both the one you speak with and the one in your wallet. The future of gaming depends on it.
