Chris Crawford On Game Design

Just finished this book (see title), a most excellent read. Mr. Atari’s take is one from the old-timers of the game industry, thus his remarks range from insightful to scathing. Rightly so, the gaming industry has seen little innovation in over 5 years and is currently cranking out tons of me too, more-of-the-same and pretty sequels at a comfortable rate. He says it best:

“Computer and videogames are now a narrowly defined entertainment form avidly pursued by a subset of the mass market. It’s easier this way for everybody. Marketing people know exactly whom to advertise to, what the ads should look like, and so forth. Retailers know exactly how to stock their shelves. Producers know precisely what sells, and designers don’t have to sweat being innovative; they need only apply the latest technology to the time-honored standard designs. It’s a comfortable arrangement, and it works well. Thousands of satisfied employees grind out products for millions of happy, well-defined customers. The system works; everybody makes money.” –pages 338-339,

Funny thing is that you can replace “computer and videogames” with almost anything in pop culture. First comes to mind is hip-hop, country music and television. It’s as if the machine is one-trick pony and is destined to be formulaic and squeeze out creativity. All that talk of empowering the individual in the new media boom of the mid nineties was just a pipe dream. I believe there are solutions, inspiration and innovations out there its just that the blanket of big money is covering it up at the moment.