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Developers are aware of a new trend in gaming. Expect more simple and repetitive games in the future. The days of the expensive, epic, uber-complex RPGs and similar games are over, and it’s all the next generation’s fault. The gaming industry is in a slump and it’s not due to the weakened economy, as this is traditionally a time when escapism entertainment flourishes. Studies were conducted, reports were released, and developers are listening attentively. Taking a cue from the music industry, which has all but collapsed, only the most simplistic and repetitive music is selling. Many of these songs don’t even have verses, repeating the same phrase over and over. Chord changes and solos are virtually non-existent. Studies also indicate that the most successful cartoons are also simple and repetitive. Short attention spans are being evolved electronically from TV, radio, and popular internet sites such as YouTube, which holds kids’ interest for little more than three-minute segments. Nintendo developer Chin Wag says the new generation of games will be short, silly, and simple. He claims the kids need to feel as though they’ve accomplished something, but aren’t going to spend forty or fifty hours to do it. Wag says that hardcore gamers should be very worried as third-party developers won’t be able to fill the void as production costs are out of their reach. “We are not trying to reinvent the wheel,” Wag says, “We’re here to sell games. We don’t invent trends, we follow them. And if that means dumbing games down, then by golly we’re taking the elevator to the basement and below.” Research points to an increased level of multi-tasking with each new generation. Kids are able to do more things at once, but that comes at the price of depth. Their attention is spread too thin in all directions. As a result they know a little about a lot, but not a lot about anything. Only a select few will be able to maintain the concentration necessary to become doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. “It make no financial sense to continue pouring millions of dollars into a single game when we can just create a game with a silly dog peeing on things for a few hundred bucks,” Frank Tok claims. “The new generation of kids doesn’t have patience or aptitude to play a complex game. They want a taste of something and then move on to the next thing. You can’t blame them; it’s evolved from the previous fast-food generation that wants it all without working for it. You can see it in their music, movies, videos, clothes, and electronics. They have forsaken any kind of value system, and now they’ll pay the price,” Tok warns. |