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richardhutnik on 27 February 2013
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happydolphin said:
richardhutnik said:

I could argue that it seems today that there is a reduction of genres, and an increase blanding to the lowest common denominator, a mashing of things in the name of storytelling.  It has increasely become more of interactive fiction and adventures, with increased dexerity elements, or adventure being mashed with action, and things dumbed down to pulling levers in certain order or hunting the key card.  Action has assimilated adventure, outside of Indie stuff, and then you now see RPG also being assimilated.  The stat building element of RPGs has been getting into about everything at this point.

So, you come out with large scaled budget blanding of genres, that are supposed to appeal to everyone, in the name of adventure.

imho you're blaming the wrong culprit. It's not in the name of adventure more than it is in the name of mass-appeal.

Also, everything should come in its good dose. If all games were like King's Quest, we'd never have Zelda. Also, adventure doesn't nessecarily mean dumbed down. Zelda OoT is rift with adventure, yet is was not dumbed down. I think balance in all things is key and it's not because some games were dumbed down to fit a lucrative formula that gamers should be on a witchhunt for games that seek adventure as a nutrition for gamers.

Perspective.

I am not going to say that the adventure genre disappeared, or all of them have dumbed down puzzles, just the adventure genre vanished into action for the most part.  This alone isn't the issue.  The issue is large budgets resulting in a need to dumb things down to sell.  The issue, from a retro perspective, is a loss of established genres so people who like them are without them, not even really the fact that action has picked up elements from other genres.

As a retro gamer, and why I want retro gamer community to have a stronger voice and have a say into their genre being supported, I want to see the genres of the past still be viable and get served sufficiently.  Genres should die off and assimilated into some generic thing called "videogames", but stand out as sufficiently rich experiences for the fans.  I also hold hope for bonus points that newcomers can also be welcomed to.   I want more genres, not less.

I would also add now that the great blanding of things is happening more now than in the past, due to development costs going mad insane.