Novan Leon said:
It's in-style to bash companies for being selfish and profit oriented. I just don't want people to assume this is the reason some aspects of game development are lacking. It's not that companies don't want to deliver a great product all the time, it's just that they are forced to make a judgment call on what to focus on given the available resources and time constraints.
That may be true of some smaller, independent developers, but if you read anything from the mouths of the businesspeople who run the publishers that control game content, you'll see that it's not a judgment call for them at all. It's a predetermined position in line with what they want from the industry. Activision's head said it best. He wants to "exploit" the products his company puts out. They don't talk about creating the best product. They talk about creating the most profitable product, built on standard, measurable components.
It absolutely is the reason that game development is lacking. I've talked to developers and they have hundreds of ideas for games that would blow us all away, but they lack the support of the people with the money.
If you look at movies, there's a viable alternative to mainstream crap. If you look at music, the same exists. TV has gotten an infusion of alternative content with HBO and the new cable channels. Videogames are still growing their alternative to mainstream, big-publisher-controlled crap. We should support them, instead of making excuses for the big publisher CEOs and executives who wish they could stick to Halo sequels and movie-tie-ins.
If you support making games better, then stop sticking up for the people who are holding gaming back. Support the talented people who want to take up the challenge of making better games instead of the people who want to make a quick buck off of 50 versions of a Shrek game.