I remembered in middle school, I would try my hardest to save my allowance just so I can buy a $29.99 cartridge to feed my Nintendo Gameboy. In high school, when I was working part-time as a web designer, I would do the same thing and buy not some, but all Squaresoft (now Square Enix) releases on the original PlayStation. Final Fantasy VII, Parasite Eve, Bushido Blade, Brave Fencer Musashi, Xenogears, you name it, I have it. Everything was so exciting for me, and the creativity I found in video games seemed limitless.
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Part of that reason is the overall direction of gaming. A medium that used to transport me to another world has become something recycled. A new title is now often indicated by the edition or version printed on the cover. Slowly but surely, I find myself turning on my PlayStation 3 at the end of the work day only for Netflix and nothing else — not even for a quick round of Street Fighter IV.
Games are now created with increasing production value. They are also taking less risk to ensure profitability. Assassin's Creed II was amazing, but in what way were the next two follow ups original? Resident Evil 4 was a complete turnaround for the series, but how successful was Capcom in taking Resident Evil 5 to the next level?
Walt Disney didn't build his empire by creating Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and then follow up with Snow White 2, Snow White 3, or even Snow White 3: Ultimate Remix Edition. So how can video games possibly be mainstream (or otherwise be taken seriously by critics) when most games out there just look like a ripped-off Michael Bay movie? First-person shooters in a post-apocalyptic setting, really?
That's why I'm honestly more interested in an offbeat game like Rhythm Heaven Fever than Skyrim or Syndicate, just as I'm more interested in risk-taking releases like Bastion than generic modern-war shooters. Games are created to introduce people to new experiences, so perhaps ideas should come from organic inspirations instead of market-research data.
I'd happily play an original game with a distinctive message instead of a rinse-and-repeat title that offers little more than an upgraded weapon. Until then, I don't mind using my PS3 as a glorified Netflix player.