Blog Banter: All I Want for Christmas Is…

When BS Angel asked for contributors to Blog Banter, I figured it would be a great way to promote my blog, and an even better way to build an awesome online community around everyone’s sites. When I approached her, she was more than enthusiastic to have another contributor. Here is a paraphrasing of our conversation:

Me: Hey Angel, I was interested in doing the blog banter thing. Sign me up!

Angel: AWESOME! i’ll put your blog down on the list, the subject is what you want for christmas from the game developement industry.

Me: Sweet, i’ll start writing it now!

Angel: You’re the coolest person ever of all time forever.

Ok, that that one was a lie, but you get the idea. Were it not for people like Angel, the online gaming community would be sorely lacking in humour and inappropriate screenshots and innuendos relating to our favorite games. So a big thank you goes out to her.

So without further ado, I give you my Blog Banter article!

My first video game was Duke Nukem 3D, and yes, it IS awesome, I know. I played it on my uncle’s brick of a laptop in 1997 when I was but six years old. Video games became more casual for me, but four years ago when I was thirteen, I bought an Xbox with the intent of playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (which is a gem, and I hope you go out and buy it if you haven’t played it). Little did I know a little game called Halo would change my life forever. I went from an RPG kid to an FPS kid, a now crowded group of gamers. I loved Halo, through and through. Everyday after school my friends and I would go home and LAN with each other. Usually I was the winner, excelling at almost every aspect, save driving. Halo was a rare game, one that combined copious amounts of creativity with stellar gameplay, utilizing the “30 seconds of fun” technique, every second of Halo was a joy.

One of the biggest problems with the video game industry, in my opinion, is that it doesn’t care. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, EA proved this by releasing excessive amounts of shit for us to gobble up. Why? because this dreck sold, it was aimed at people without a lot of time on their hands, so it appealed to their “if it has guns or explosions I will buy it” instinct. EA has since realized that releasing shitty game just won’t cut it anymore, and have since put quite a bit of excellent games out on the market, not the least of which include Dead Space, Mirror’s Edge, and Spore.

Sadly, It appears as though in order to fill the void of the publisher of shitty games, Activision has stepped up to the plate, releasing games like Secret Service, and International Baja 1000. True, they did release Call of Duty 4, but that was over a year ago, and They have since used its engine in three games, most of which were mediocre at best.

This is the biggest issue with the gaming industry, many companies do not take care of their consumers. Not by hiking prices or having good customer service support lines, but by making solid, fun, and enjoyable games. A company like EA has got it right: release less games, but make them better than a burrito with dog shit inside (that would be pretty bad, in case you didn’t catch my drift).

So if I would like one thing from the gaming industry this year, it would most certainly be for all developement studios to put time and effort in to their games. To make every game thinking it might be the best game ever, and to give it that sort of love and attention. If it takes a year longer or two to make, let it take that long, our wait will be worthwhile if you love what you are making. Because when you love your product and are proud of the creative properties inside it, we will too in almost every case. Even if you are working on the new sequel to Petz Catz 2, you can give it the love and affection evry games deserves.

So that’s my wish for this year, maybe it will come true, or maybe i’ll get a burrito filled with dog shit.

Das Kalk

Other participants!
What I want in 2009, The “Roxanne” Edition, Dear Gaming Industry, if the industry gave us all presents this Christmas, Demands for the industry, Santa, Don’t Bring Me Toys I Have To Share, All I Want for Christmas Is…, My Wish for the Year, Crossing Over, Checkpoint Unobtained. errr., Loading Requests, LISTEN BITCH!!!, One Wish, Dear Video Game Industry

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