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Let me start this article off by stating what should be the obvious, nothing in entertainment is original. That is a statement that has remained true for hundreds of years since it was first philosophized by Aristotle. Yes you can say that something is new and different, but it’s generally a play off of something else; take Shakespeare’s method for example: the Kanye West of theatre. Originality however is not specific to only certain forms of entertainment, it is also prominent in music and gaming as well. We as a people however tend to use originality as a basis for quite a few of our entertainment interest, but in the wrong light. We tend to look at originality in terms of how “new” something is as opposed to how “different” it is. We get excited for games that look cool, but the ones that are different tend to get shunned. We as gamers are the worse when it comes to judgment on those that are different as opposed to being harsher critics to the constant rehashing of video games that takes place in the gaming market today. And yes, I say gaming today due to the change in market interest presently when compared to the past; therefore I must address today’s issues.

Now I will explain the difference between something that is not original and something that is not original but different in it’s own right. Not original: Ninja Blade compared to Ninja Gaiden. Not original but different: Ninja Gaiden compared to Devil May Cry. Now Ninja Gaiden might not have been the first game with the elements of running, jumping, and sword combos, but it is one well known for it’s action. Ninja Blade on the other hand is like if someone was asked to renovate a house and all they did was splash a new coat of paint on it. Still the same house, just new paint, and not necessarily good paint either. Games like Ninja Blade flood the market with nothing more than to make a quick buck off the general gaming community, and although that’s a prominent strategy for more than just games, it’s just getting to the point where games that should be highlighted get lost in a sea of generic video games. And it’s not like these games don’t have the polish to outshine the rest; it’s more like the majority of the other games are polished as well, just with the cheaper brand. It’s like wearing fake Jordan’s; yea they look like the real thing, but there is a better quality shoe, and when you look closer you notice quite a few abnormalities like an “ass crack”.

I fully support independent game designers and those pursuing their dreams, but it seems as if more and more companies are becoming more like the music industry; picking generic projects to appeal to current market trends rather than be innovative and stray into something different. Understand, that this method has been used for decades by many businesses aside from the gaming industry. The reason I’m addressing it however is due to its growth. It seems as if it is getting worse. Yes, we had generic games on past systems, but due to the limitations of the systems in the past it was harder to be innovative and original with how you would “want” to envision your game (didn’t hurt that the dev kits back then were relatively expensive for its time and harder to obtain). Now however dev kits are more accessible, but it seems with the advancement of technology the developers are limiting themselves more so than the system itself. What I’m saying has been said for many many years, but it’s starting to get out of hand. We used to get excited over games that stood out from the rest, as opposed to games that claimed to be similar to another game, but better in innovation. It’s sad to say, but we may never see that day again if this continues. Maybe we need a media renaissance, who knows?

Written By Juan Jovi

Probably the rarest staff member of the Koalition crew. He's something like Big Foot, some Koalition staff don't know he exist. Even though he has about as much free time as a parking meter, his drive keeps him gassed up

1. jim says:

   May 14, 2009 at 8:15 pm

   Okami.

   Reply
2. Tikyle says:

   May 15, 2009 at 6:14 am

   Who knew a member of the Koalition gets kind of deep in thought?

   Nice article.

   Reply

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