Have some video game developers forgotten about the games? Sometimes it looks that way. The current trend for adding an online pass (or similar) to a game to generate revenue from used games sales is one example that might make it seem like they have. Money is the issue here. In recent years developers have stopped branching out so much and trying new ideas and instead concentrating either on the game series that have proved successful in the past or a new series that does not really innovate in any way at all. For example: any game that features Sonic and, let’s say, Uncharted.
I’m sure at least one person reading this is thinking ‘but Uncharted is awesome!’ And, indeed, you are entitled to feel that way. I certainly do not have a problem with the game. But, in real terms it is nothing much more than one step away from Tomb Raider and one step closer to Hollywood. Helpfully, Tomb Raider crashed out over the last few years, giving us some truly horrific titles. Naturally, lovers of such games will look elsewhere for kicks, especially in the case of the well-executed (albeit slightly clichéd) Uncharted series. With a new Tomb Raider game due out soon to ‘reboot’ the franchise, it will be interesting to see how it is received by the public. Whatever happens I am almost certain that it will make fewer waves than Uncharted 3. I am also certain, however, that there won’t be much difference between Uncharted 3 and the previous entries in the series; the main philosophy seems to be ‘add explosions and more characters’. I wonder how long it will be before we’re playing a game as young Drake, seeing how and where he learned the trade. Not that we’ve seen that anywhere before, of course…
The same applies to Sonic. Aside from a few instances where he strayed into racing or, by some terrible decision, being a ‘werehog’, the key changes between games are more characters and more ‘story’. I remember days when Sonic was out to bust Robotnik’s balls (yes, Robotnik, not Eggman!) just because it was fun to watch him fail and, at the same time, save some flickies. But they were never the driving force of the ‘story’. That was always ‘Robotnik’s stolen the Chaos Emeralds, we have to get them back and screw him over.’ In the case of the 2D Sonic games, the level design has not really departed much from the days of Sonic 2, if we’re honest. The recent downloadable ‘classic’ but new Sonic was essentially the first few level designs from Sonic 2 (Emerald Hill Zone, Casino Night etc.) renamed and changed around. They couldn’t even get the physics of the poor hedgehog right, which left the whole game feeling clunky and somehow inferior to a game on the Mega Drive.
So why do video games seem to have one eye on the past all the time? I think there are two reasons. Probably more, but I’m only going to discuss two. Firstly, as gamers, we know what we like and, in the case of Sonic 2, we like what we see. Even now. This is true of many games that have become idolised over the years: Zelda is an excellent example. Have people ever stopped going on about Ocarina of Time? I mean, let it go! Move on. Life is a forward progression, not a stubborn refusal to accept that modern games could even come close to that perceived level of greatness. If we looked upon any such games with a modern criticism they would be torn to shreds. So maybe gamers were more naïve back in the day. I still say, rather than making developers re-do stuff over and over, just buy the original game and enjoy it as it was meant to be enjoyed.
As a result of this looking fondly to the past, several things have started happening in the games industry. We are seeing more and more classics hitting the online stores so people can enjoy them on modern technology, we are seeing more and more sequels than I can ever remember there being before and we are being treated to more and more rehashing of old ideas in slightly better graphics.
The underlying power behind much of this is money. Developers have enormous budgets to spend on a game. The investors behind developers obviously need whatever game is made to be a success. So rather than put their necks on the line and trying out a new idea, developers are turning back to their ‘pretty much guaranteed success’ cabinet. Call of Duty is a good example of this. Treyarch and Activision have been sharing the series, alternately releasing the same game set in slightly different historical periods. Well, now it’s more ‘Modern Warfare’ and ‘Historical Warfare’, although between the two there’s little difference really. Modern Warfare 3 is expected to be announced soon. What a surprise. I doubt they even contemplated doing anything else, content to laugh at everyone who goes out and buys the latest CoD on release day, despite the fact it’s the same as the last one (and the next one too, by the way).
In such times, where no one with any imagination is employed by the big developers (except, perhaps on the Nintendo side of things, although nobody’s fooled by Pokémon ‘Stains Brown’ or whatever colours they’re up to these days). Where, then, does the modern, discerning gamer need to look for something a little different? Easy! Look at independent developers. They have a very small budget and a very small team of people, usually united behind the love of whatever it is they are creating. Indie developers can take old, overdone gaming furniture and inject a certain je ne sais quoi into it. I love the example of Super Meat Boy; how many platformers have we seen over the years? And yet, something about SMB will have you coming back over and over again.
I recently had occasion to play two titles I would never have even known about were it not for our beloved Default Prime. The verdict? Fantastic! Sure, they lack a little polish, but overall they are gaming experiences far more fulfilling than any I’ve had with recent Call of Duty, Sonic or whatever other overdone game you can think of. I cannot be alone in thinking that I would currently rather pay my money for something original, even if it’s short lived, than pay £40 for a sequel to another game I sort of liked. I’ll go indie every time, baby. And for any doubting Thomas’s out there, just take a quick look; there’s an indie game practically made for everyone and the developers are in it for the love of gaming.
About the Author
