On Some Next Level $#&%

As video gaming changes, I am talking about the medium, the industry and the market as well as the games themselves, the next concern for every one will be how long it takes for a game to go from concept to approval to development, polish and distribution. We have been really focused on approval and distribution recently because those both reside in one place, the publisher. How ever DLC is set and poised to take over. If Concept, Development and Polish could evolve as well then we could shorten those two year waiting periods for new content.

The old way is as refined as it's going to get. Splinter Cell is a franchise that has two separate development houses working on it alternating release titles. This increases their speed on all points (Concept, Approval, Development, Polish) inside the industry. However we're still waiting 2 to 3 years per Title release. In that time the Franchise looses attention and is open to competition and plagiarism. Promotion (! that's another Step I hadn't thought of) for the game is necessary but the longer it takes to release and the earlier you start promoting it the bigger the leg up you give the competition who get to see where you're going with the title. Changes and advancement can be copied and that can throw a monkey wrench or chaos into the development of a title as two developers try to to vying for a more relevant update in their category of game. Ultimately leading to unpolished games.

I propose that the Video Games transform as a whole. But in order for us to do that successfully and sustainably we have to remember what is driving the whole thing.

So What is Driving Video Games.
Let's see we have licensed games , as an example, which come from the desire to connect with our content from other Mediums such as movies cartoons, comics, books, myth folk stories, politics etc. I don't know a word that would sum up what excites a little kid about a Willy Wonka Video game. Maybe exploration to further explore that world. Mabe empowerment to take control of a character in that world. Maybe development to make different choices and do things better then the character in the movie did originally. Maybe relating to the character already and wanting to continue the fantasy. Relating is in my opinion the strongest driver of games from new licensed movies. Relating can also be broken down into nostalgia, relevance, familiarity etc.

I notice how a games challenge didn't really come up in that although a lot of other appealing aspects of gaming did, things that apply to more then just licensed games. But challenge did not, conspicuously. And it would make sense that challenge is one of the main values of the Hardcore would be missing since the Hardcore treat Licensed games with the most reproach. So we'll add a couple of other things the Hardcore care about.

Consistency, Novelty, Evolution, Intrigue, and strangely enough representation, as video gaming becomes more artistic so too are games expected to represent us. This causes much contention but I personally believe it is hypocritical to call something "High Art" and at the same time say "It doesn't matter that we are killing hookers since it's just a game"

Oh and graphics! Lol.

Long story short I think the industry can completely change as long as we keep the games fun. FUN is the summation of all that motivates us to play video games, though each of our definitions of fun might be different.But as video gaming progresses people are going to be looking at getting these games out faster.

Here's what I think.

I think that fans should be able to purchase their way into a Beta. It will be up to the developers to deal with the the data they pull from hardcore fans, but if the money to get into a beta is good enough then it will be part of the revenue stream.

I think there should be a reality TV show for aspiring game makers. America's Next Top Game Guru or something. This will provide the audience with a better idea of what it takes to make games so the market will have more realistic desires and expectations.

I think that Beta and Release and Patch and Modding should be more integrated.
How?
I think Money and Creativity should flow in both directions. User created content is valuable and there should be a set way ready willing and able to give it a price tag so that the whole process can be sustainable.

I think Hardware should mirror all these advancements but at a slower pace. This will allow the Console market and the PC market to finally merge which will solve many problems for every one. This can get really complex but I see customer feedback shaping console hardware. I see Hardcore PC gaming and Console modification shaping the direction of console development the way game modding can shape game conceptualization, and approval. (Case in Point Portal for how Modding has effecting a game being released. Case in point PC gamers using heat sinks effecting how the 360 is cooled. There will be a console with water based coolant system, it's only a matter of time) It if wasn't for PC gamers coming up with online gaming through modems the Dreamcast and XBOX ethernet capabilities would have never been adopted by Console makers as core system capabilities.

I am about to crash. Shorten and merge, Evolve Adapt, and most importantly have FUN at all stages. Even at the development house, even at the publisher approval stage have fun, even at the polish stage, even at the promotion stage and for me personally especially at the actual playing of the video game....

Crashing Crashing Crashing