Are games becoming less original?

[a ginger491]

I've been noticing more and more now that games are being dominated by a few big developers and not only that but less original and worthwhile titles coming out. Since it appears as though these enormous developers don't want to take any huge chances but the masses really don't seem to give unknown developers who are just getting up much of a chance to shine through the predictable and even boring AAA titles to show off new and original ideas that with a little more cash can make something that is amazing. Are the days when a kid a few years out of college could walk up to a publisher, propose a downright crazy awesome project and be given a chance at doing it still here? or will these people be thrown out halfway through their pitch? Being forced to have their visions only half realized on newgrounds or some other site where you can find absurd but possibly amazing flash games.

 

[Mr. Fancy Pants]

Considering the best selling games lists are dominated by the following:

-Retarded carbon-copied murder simulators like call of duty, and for that matter every single FPS seeing as they're all exactly the same

-Cutesy nintendo crap like 26,793 marios and zeldas

-Wii whatever games that are now being copied by Microsoft for release on the Kinect, a device scientifically designed to make you look as stupid as humanly possible whilst playing it.

Yes, games are becoming less original in general. However there is hope. If you want some really cool, original games, go for the bigger japanese titles that aren't nintendo games.

 

[Zhukov]

No, not really.

True, there is a veritable deluge of dreary FPSs. But it's not much different to the days when you couldn't take three steps without tripping over a side-scrolling platformer.

 

[bluebomber138]

I say go for third party nintendo DS games! Theyre so random half the time I've got no clue whats going on. Also third party games for the 360 and PS3, but not the Wii. Also a tip, any indie game you see, if you can afford it, give it a shot. I didn't think I'd like minecraft or super meat boy, but now theyre my favorite games.

 

[Reaper195]

Yes and no. While the plot and gameplay of FPSs are all similar, they are not exactly the same. It's like people saying that Tomorrow When The War Began was a rip-off of Red Dawn (Different movies, but similar in a few ways).

But I do see what you mean.

 

[IBlackKiteI]

Everything is becoming less original, but there are a couple lights in the darkness.

Somewhere.

 

[RyQ_TMC]

Some of what you're saying is true. The days when you could march up to a developer and have them realize your brilliant idea are pretty much gone (aside from the little success stories like the Portal team having been picked by Valve because they made an innovative game for their final year thesis). The increasing cost of game design is responsible. Big business prefers to play it safe.

But is there less originality in gaming? No. I'd say you get just as much of it as you used to. It's just that nostalgia filter has us remember the few innovative titles of ages past, but not countless clones that used to flood the market. In fact, if truth be told, there is now MORE potential for innovation because of the Internet. Do you think Minecraft would have become the massive hit it is if it weren't for online word-of-mouth? Or would you expect to see ads for Braid in high-profile magazines?

Sure, big studios are as usual stuck in a rut, but little guys keep innovating.

EDIT: Another problem is that when you do get an experimental high-profile game, it usually fails, because of higher production costs and higher price tag. People just aren't willing to pay more for an experience they don't know yet. Mirror's Edge comes to mind. And The World Ends With You.

 

[nima55]

Really in the current media saturation, I think everything draws from something else. And really who cares if something is formulaic, it's usually formula for being good.

 

[Kevonovitch]

short answer-yes

long answer-yes, and it's everyones own damn fault for it.

 

[Mace Tulio]

I don't think the loss of originality is restricted to video games, as more things are made, everything becomes less original.

 

[Tallim]

I think if you want original you really have to look at indie developers. Or go hang out at Experimental Gameplay Project.

The problem is money as always. Companies will always prefer a guaranteed income to an uncertain "original" game. Doesn't help that when someone tries something original most of the community shoot it down for not conforming to their ideas of how a game of that genre should be.

We need more branch companies like Clover who were set up for the express purpose of creating original or interesting games and boy did they create some crackers

 

[Netrigan]

Except for early on, originality has always been rare. In those early days, it was simply uncommon. The great bulk of games have always been about strip-mining a formula that has been proven to work, the better games adding mechanics to make their game stand out.

For example, Space Invaders was the first game to really break into mainstream consciousness. Other games featured aliens that came flying down toward you (Galiga) or the limited ability to move up and down (Centipede). One original idea, a bunch of mildly innovative additions, and tons of instantly forgettable clones.

It's not really surprising that originality and innovation are becoming increasingly rare, because a lot of talents people have been working this territory for several decades. Increasingly, we're depending on style and presentation. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Originality and innovation in movies is fairly rare (even with special effects, the most innovative movie generally only adds one trick to the tool bag). The same basic plots, premises, and character archetypes are constantly being used by some amazing movies.

 

[Bon_Clay]

It seems like there are less original games because there are so many more games to choose from these day. So many games have come out that many ideas have already been taken, and many more games borrow from previous ones.

But there are still the occasional innovative and fresh games that are really great. Hell people weren't all that creative when the game industry first started and it was wide open for new ideas since basically every idea you could have would be new.

Look at the catalog of Atari and NES games. Sure there was stuff like Pac Man, Space Invaders and Asteroids, but a good deal of Atari games were a glitchy bunch of pixels. NES had some really great games, but there were tons of knock-offs and useless tie-in games even then. Games based on TV shows or movies that were done so sloppy their only accomplishment has been material for the Angry Video Game Nerd's videos.

 

[Manji187]

I've been noticing more and more now that games are being dominated by a few big developers and not only that but less original and worthwhile titles coming out. Since it appears as though these enormous developers don't want to take any huge chances but the masses really don't seem to give unknown developers who are just getting up much of a chance to shine through the predictable and even boring AAA titles to show off new and original ideas that with a little more cash can make something that is amazing. Are the days when a kid a few years out of college could walk up to a publisher, propose a downright crazy awesome project and be given a chance at doing it still here? or will these people be thrown out halfway through their pitch? Being forced to have their visions only half realized on newgrounds or some other site where you can find absurd but possibly amazing flash games.

Didn't you know originality equals risk in the business sense? As a publisher you don't want to be in the arty farty niche crowd (small group, low sales)...or worse, you don't want potential buyers to be scared off by something that doesn't look like "their cup of tea". You automatically go for broad market appeal (lowest common denominator). Making games for consoles has become expensive business...so devs/ publishers do everything they can to increase/ ensure sales. In the Triple A title arena, you either win or you die...there is no middle ground.

What makes business sense on the individual/ short-term level...that is now killing the industry on the aggregate/ long-term level. When failure is not an option...expect everybody to play it safe.

That's why developers are so eager to step into the whole apps/ social networks/ microtransactions arena. It is a more merciful business environment that allows a degree of experimentation/ failure.

It's cynical, I know...but the gaming industry is first and foremost...a business. So naturally, money issues come first.

 

[Reallink]

I think generally speaking, games are not becoming less original as much as an audience who ages becomes more aware. E.G, the first shooter you played was probably an amazing experience. The second, you notice things that are better/worse than the original. The third the same, but with more reference. It goes on and on. Say you now play your 100th shooter. It may be in terms of graphics etc the same as the first game. But you have so much saturation with shooters that it seems unoriginal. Not a fault with developers as much with the unavoidable fact that we become saturated with experiences that makes it feel unoriginal

 

[JoJo Bizzaro 7]

Everything is becoming less original. Everything is also being commercialized, cherry picked, directly marketed and molded to suit the general public, and focused on profit instead of merit.

Art used once as a gateway to the depths of the human condition is now used to promote phones.

Music that once held the heart and soul of a generation turns into an industrial assembly line of various beats and phrases centering around "the club," "the girl," or "the floor."

Motion Pictures, once a pioneer of both quality entertainment and challenging material, now is a stagnating pool of forced sequels, forced reboots, lame and unchallenging subject matter so the public will feel safe and continue buying, and cheap gimmicks from the 80's.

Finally, video games. They were doomed form the beginning. Introduced as a tech revolution, they were then marketed as toys for children. The stigma stayed, in a way. Now they are marketed as toys. Not simply for children, but toys nonetheless. A parade a shiny distractions with no merit.

Sure, there are exceptions. Some mediums today actually produce something of merit once in a while. (Inception, Mass Effect, Nightwish, etc.) However, the majority comes up short, and will continue to do so. And there's nothing we can do about it. You can try, though.

Personally, I hope I'm full of shit! If so, I can't wait to see what happens next!

 

[Zantos]

I think digital distribution is adding variety to games. Yeah if you go in for the big releases then it's either going to be a FPS rendered lovingly in the dirt spectrum or some generic RPG-esque game with an arbitrary moral choice system and more beat around the bush writing than a victorian novel. But the fact that we now have Steam, the XBLA and the whatever-sony-has-when-the-PSN-finally-gets-going-again (I'm sure it has a better name than that) menas smaller developers can still reach a wide audience without having to be backed by a major publisher.

Yeah there could be more there, but now that we have a greater capacity for that I don't think it'll be long before we get a lot more original games out. The XBLA is already full of things that probably wouldn't get a second look in from EA and Activision, they probably wouldn't have even moved "Rolling live kittens into cigars and smoking them with a nice glass of orphans tears" session half an hour to hear about something like Limbo.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I disagree that things are becoming more unoriginal. It's always been that way, you just get more and more fed up with it, IMHO. All forms of artistic expression have been used to pay the bills, nothing new there.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Surely it's unavoidable that as time goes by and more and more new ideas are introduced, the games that then follow are going to have less to play around with that no one has tried before? Seriously do you want every single developer to scour back through gaming history for every game they make to be sure that nothing they are about to put in their game has ever been done before by anyone? Because that would lead to some pretty retarded games.

Originality isn't always everything, some ideas get used over and over again not because developers are lazy, but because they were good ideas. I don't really care whether or not the things the game I'm playing has done are original, so long as it's good at what it does. By your logic we might as well say that every FPS ever made since Doom and Wolfenstein are crap because they're 'unoriginal'.

 

[Antari]

short answer-yes

long answer-yes, and it's everyones own damn fault for it.

Hey now ... I didn't put in any sort of vote for them to put the accountants in the driver's seat!