Although I still enjoy current-gen games, I feel like gaming doesn't have that "drive" anymore. Think back to the good ol' days, for example, with the release of Chrono Trigger on SNES (Greatest Game of All Time, IMO), there was nothing that could stop me from enjoying that game. It would not matter what screen size, what home theatre setup, and what sound system you had. The game would still be enjoyed. Nowadays, I feel gaming has been hijacked by non-gamers so-to-speak. A lot (not all) games nowadays seem to feel like there are nothing but cash-ins (Halo Wars, c'mon, that totally doesn't fit, why do you think Bungie switched the first Halo to FPS?), others incomplete (Red Steel) and others just plain garbage (Cruis’n for Wii). Many companies seem to think about the dollar before the experience. In other words, they are sell-outs. In-game advertisement is a big one. This is one of my most hated things in gaming. The worst feeling I had with my Xbox 360 was when I was playing Crackdown (not a bad game at all) and the first thing I did after leaving the agency was seeing a billboard of "The New 2007 Dodge Caravan." What really pisses me off is how the developers totally ignored the world they created to make an extra buck. How does the new 2007 Dodge Caravan even remotely fit in a world that is literally hundreds of years later?! This definantly wasn't the only time, as Microsoft advertises cars on the Xbox 360 dashboard on every single blade! A video games is not a new medium to put your advertising on! There are a few developing companies that I totally trust to not let me down, and some so far haven't, but I can sense that they will one day. Companies like Rockstar, Square Enix, and Valve are my most adored. There are others that I totally despise with all my heart (See: EA). And it's not like they don't deserve my love or hate. They really do. They brought it upon themselves. To me, it seems that the people call the shots in the industry aren't even gamers and don't understand the type of artwork video games really are.
Thanks for reading, Anyone else agree with me? Or am I alone on this one!
