Now, I adore Peter Molyneux. It’s not that he doesn’t say the most absurd things just about every time he opens his mouth and/or loses all – already somewhat tenuous, I daresay – contact with actual, demonstrable reality, but rather that he’s one of so few industry people with any sort of obvious enthusiasm for it all.
As a mass marketable corporate enterprise, the gaming industry has increasingly become, well, a mass marketable corporate enterprise. Blade Runner, basically. Do you have any idea what the lead designer of your favourite game even looks like? I’m guessing “Probably not”. It’s not like you even know his or her name, anyway.
And gamers themselves are all too quickly becoming a bunch of implacable, greedy consumers, with all the insular and sanctimonious self-entitlement that comes with that. When last did you play and enjoy a game for its own sake, and not because you think you’re supposed to think it’s going to be a profound revelation of apparently entirely narcissistic proportions, and are subsequently devastated when it turns out to be nothing much more than a game? Maybe you’re too busy posting complaints on forums everywhere to realise it, but [insert developer’s name here] didn’t make [insert game’s title here] especially for you and your very specific and comprehensive requirements for a virtual shotgun’s damage cone or anything.
It’s like every time Activision’s Bobby Kotick is back in the tabloids with some outrageously self-serving irrelevance about whatever, there’s an instant ad hoc inquisition of zealous gamers pronouncing his obvious and shameless alliance with the hooved ranks of consummate evil. Have you lot taken a look at yourselves – or your torrent folders – recently? While we’re on the topic of “self-serving irrelevance” and everything, I mean.
Peter Molyneux talks up a load of unadulterated, overhyped rubbish most of the time. But there’s simply no reasonably denying the guy loves what he does. As a gaming writer, I spend a lot of my time reading gaming articles and forums, and a love for gaming as, you know, playing some ****ing games just isn’t something I see very much of anymore. Have you lost perspective somewhere along the way, maybe?
I’ve been gaming since the 80s. I remember when King’s Quest was way more fun than my phonics homework, and now, over twenty years on, I’ve spent the last two or three days diligently avoiding anything even remotely resembling anything like real work and playing Modern Warfare 2’s Spec Ops mode instead. Why’s that? Well, work sucks, obviously, but nevermind that – I just love playing games*.
It’s Friday today, and it’s just about time to get your weekend on. How about taking the time to remember why you love games? The industry needs you.
* And I’ve only 2 stars left before 1000/1000 Gamerscore for the game. Self-serving irrelevance and everything, you know.
Passion in the industry – is it gone? Share your views in the forums
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