As we stagger towards the season of commercialised festivities, I dig deep into my cynical core to retrieve the childhood sense of joy I once associated with Christmas. Marred by decades of society abuse and attempt to revel in the subsequent culmination of the year, to remind myself that it’s always beneficial to evaluate your achievements over the past 12 months. To reflect on the positives, the negatives and the things that haven’t changed. But however mercurial the year has been, I can confidently say that 2023 might be the least amount of time that I’ve ever committed to gaming since I was a fetus. Much of this abstinence is self inflicted. With work being a perennial drain on my stamina. As well as the delightful tribulations of sharing your home with two like minded females. But some of my own diminished interest can be attributed to my emerging disillusionment of the industry and the “products” being developed.
This may come across as “old man yells at clouds” lamentation, but gaming really has changed. Graphics have improved. Gameplay is as fluid and engaging as it has ever been, arguably more so. Stories have become more sophisticated, cinematic as well as nuanced. Providing evocative narratives, traditionally reserved for television or movies. But despite the obvious reforms, there seems to be a recurring famine in regards to individuality. A lot of big budget games are seemingly developed by committees to adhere to popular criteria. Fashionable trends that are likely to generate lucrative profits, simply by reciprocating what properties that already saturate the market. Then there’s the industries obsession with propagating digital media, specifically the unwavering emphasis on streaming. A service as soulless as it is exploitive. Besides the inconsistency of many broadband services that prevents any reliability, streaming games are essentially modern day rentals. Charging consumers a subscription to borrow content they should really own. What’s most concerning is that people seem content with that?! Even digital purchases aren’t safe, as Sony’s recent licensing arrangements have proven.
Even the new PS5 Slim has a separate, detachable disc drive, that requires an initial internet validation to use. Now the cynical part of me, evidently a section that has steadily been growing, can’t help but wonder what is stopping the likes of Sony and Microsoft from making internet functionality a permanent feature for disc based games? Or more likely, omitting them altogether? Factor in the dubious business practices of these companies. With DLC. Online only games. Games released unfinished or littered with bugs. Games as a service. And really just games with no other purpose than to illicit a sustained, fiscal turnover. Then they are limiting consumer autonomy and monopolising our engagement. Perhaps the industry has always been this jaded. Or maybe I’m just getting old. But I can’t shake the feeling that the games industry is only going to get more manipulative.
Merry Christmas everyone!
It’s never been easy to pick the right game. Finances, hype, word of mouth and even luck are contributing factors. Applying preferential distinctions to a game that’s most suitable to you’re current needs can be a difficult process if you’re mind or heart aren’t fully invested. Prioritising quality can simply be a matter of perception, sometimes even one of convenience and availability. For some it’s difficult to be as discerning. I’ve experienced my fair share of mistakes, I still shake my head in disappointment every time I think about the Order 1886 or Watchdog’s. The problem is that you don’t know if a game is terrible with any certainty unless you buy and play them extensively! Of course such a commitment comes with inherent risks, but sometimes the benefits outweigh those risks. So how can you negate the prospect of having to trade week old game with as much substance as a vegetarian lasagne? What constitutes as value? Experimentation? Genial familiarity? Some bargain bin obscurity?! There’s an increasing number of pros and cons and you’re very conscientious of making the wrong purchase. For as long as I’ve been responsible for my own video game purchases I have adhered to 5 principle regulations when deciding on what to buy. They aren’t perfect, in fact by my estimates these 5 rules have filtered out roughly 6% of the diuretic excretions I would have otherwise purchased. At any rate I, deliberated through my own experiences have noted these precepts for you’re benefit…..and because I couldn’t think of anything else to write about this week!
Game, Complain, Repeat 