Crisis of Creativity

[jeepnut]

Video Game Industry Faces 'Crisis of Creativity'

By Reed Stevenson and Ben Berkowitz

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Reuters) - The video game industry is facing a hardening of the creative arteries as aging gamers' tastes increasingly shift toward sequels and games based on movies, industry participants said this week.

With more and more titles chasing the success of their predecessors and content owners digging deep into their libraries to tap older material for quick fail-proof conversion into games, the industry is faced with a question more serious than rhetorical: What's new?

"The gaming industry will shrink unless we start to see new games," said Toru Iwatani, who created Pac-Man, one of the first video games to become a worldwide hit.

One of the industry's first huge hits, published by Namco Ltd. (9752.T) in 1980, Pac-Man crossed gender lines and became a huge hit with women.

At the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California, a gathering of industry insiders where the talk is more about how games are made than how they are sold, the dearth of new titles and the increasing cost of developing games was a common theme at keynotes and panel discussions.

The high up-front costs of developing games is also pressuring developers to rely more on sure-fire hits and take less risks on new, innovative titles.

Electronic Arts Inc. (NasdaqNM:ERTS - news), the gaming industry's largest publisher, has perfected the art of getting gamers hooked on yearly releases of sports games and turning out versions of movie hits such as "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and "Harry Potter (news - web sites): Quidditch World Cup."

EA's U.S. market share in 2004 is more than twice that of its closest competitor, and the company generates more revenue in the December quarter than its closest competitor does in an entire fiscal year, driven in large part by those repeat sports and film titles.

CONSERVATIVE GAMERS?

Out of the top 100 games sold in Japan during 2001, 10 were original titles, but that number was halved in 2002 and fell to merely two in 2003.

"The ratio of original titles to sequels is dropping dramatically," said Ryoichi Hasegawa, an industry veteran who was at Sega Corp. (7964.T) before joining Sony Corp (news - web sites).'s (6758.T) gaming business.

Things are little better in the United States, where last December, according to the NPD Group, more than half of the 20 best-selling games on all platforms were sequels or derivatives of existing properties.

Part of the problem is the advancing average age of gamers, which is rising as the industry matures.

Last summer, the Entertainment Software Association, an industry trade group, found that the average age of gamers had risen to 29 years old, dispelling the view that gamers consist mainly of teenagers.

"Core gamers are advancing in age and they are becoming more conservative," Hasegawa told a panel.

Sony , which dominates the global console market, is planning for its PlayStation 2 (news - web sites) console to have a lifespan of at least a decade, and its executives acknowledge that with such a long cycle, its user base will naturally age and have different tastes.

"We have to think very carefully about the type of audience we're reaching with our games," Andrew House, an executive vice president with Sony Computer Entertainment of America, said in a keynote address at the conference.

But it is not just EA chasing after proven material. Upcoming titles such as "Halo 2," "Half-Life 2," "Doom III" and "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" are all expected to top sales charts this year, in large part because the games that preceded them were so successful.

And licenses for films and TV shows are being snapped up left and right by publishers counting on consumers to opt for something familiar when trying to decide how to spend their $30 to $50 per game in discretionary income.

Just this year, EA has licensed "The Godfather" and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NasdaqNM:TTWO - news) has set up an ongoing licensing deal with the Cartoon Network.

Ubi Soft (UBIP.PA) announced on Thursday that it had licensed the early 1980s TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard."

Despite the proliferation of sequels and licensed games, Pac-man creator Iwatani said that he had seen this happen before during his 20 year-career, and that new and revolutionary new games appear in a two- to three-year cycle.

"It's difficult right now but I expect to see a recovery in a couple years," Iwatani said.

I found this interesting and thought I would share. The most interesting part was Sony saying the PS2 would have a ten year life span. I hope that they mean that it will coexist with the PS3 like the PSone does now and not that it will be another 5 years until we see the PS3.

[Dark Samurai]

With all the new games that are coming out, what other ideas would you even try to come up with?

I mean its hard for us, but i bet its even harder for them.

IMO, I think that the games we have now are good, in fact, i just went back to playing True Crime, turns out it is an alright game.

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by jeepnut

I found this interesting and thought I would share. The most interesting part was Sony saying the PS2 would have a ten year life span. I hope that they mean that it will coexist with the PS3 like the PSone does now and not that it will be another 5 years until we see the PS3.

Hmmm. This is interesting. But I must admit that I had already noticed this trend towards unoriginality. When the GT homepage is finally up, read my editorial titled "The State of Nintendo". While my editorial focuses on Nintendo, I still discuss how games now days pale in comparison to those of the olden days.

I mean really, think about it. Imagine you playing games on the NES. Now imagine you playing then on the SNES. Now imagine the N64 and PSone...then the GCN, PS2, and Xbox. In retrospective, what time period did you have the most fun?

[jeepnut]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Hmmm. This is interesting. But I must admit that I had already noticed this trend towards unoriginality. When the GT homepage is finally up, read my editorial titled "The State of Ninendo". While my editorial focuses on Nintendo, I still discuss how games now days pale in comparison to those of the olden days.

I mean really, think about it. Imagine you playing games on the NES. Now imagine you playing then on the SNES. Now imagine the N64 and PSone...then the GCN, PS2, and Xbox. In retrospective, what time period did you have the most fun?

Yes, but take a kid who has only ever seen a PS2, GC, or Xbox and then sit them infront of an NES. Do you think the answer would be the same? We love the NES so much because it was our first and we had never seen anything like it. Videogame systems these days aren't so new anymore. It tough to find game concepts that people have never seen or played in some way before, therefore, we are getting harder and harder to impress. Also, age makes you a more demanding customer.

[Jonbo298]

Lets all buy everything from the N64 and down and just stay there and reminisce the good ol' times

I think I'm already starting to do that. Even though the DC is in there, its still good But I think I will have a SNES & NES eventually along with all the old games I played*sigh*

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by jeepnut

Yes, but take a kid who has only ever seen a PS2, GC, or Xbox and then sit them infront of an NES. Do you think the answer would be the same? We love the NES so much because it was our first and we had never seen anything like it. Videogame systems these days aren't so new anymore. It tough to find game concepts that people have never seen or played in some way before, therefore, we are getting harder and harder to impress. Also, age makes you a more demanding customer.

Well, you see, I owned an NES, but I never owned an SNES. When I think back, I do think I had more fun playing my NES than any other system. Maybe I think this because of what you said...but I have this feeling that if I were to go out and buy a SNES right now and get a bunch of games for it and come home and start playing, I would have more fun than I do with my GCN. (not saying I dont have fun with my GCN...I love it...but I'm just making a point that the SNES has better quality games.)

And what your saying about concepts running dry is both true and untrue. Their are concepts out there...we just havnt thought of them yet. The imagination is a wonderful thing...it has endless possibilites. While it is getting harder to find new ideas...they are out there. This is like saying that the music industry will crash someday because all the "good" lyrics are taken. Or saying that books and novels will eventually become irrelevent because no one has anything new to right about.

Someone just needs to have a revelation...and push the envelope a bit.There are ideas out there...but current game developers are doing a crappy job finding and utilizing them.

[The Germanator]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Well, you see, I owned an NES, but I never owned an SNES. When I think back, I do think I had more fun playing my NES than any other system. Maybe I think this because of what you said...but I have this feeling that if I were to go out and buy a SNES right now and get a bunch of games for it and come home and start playing, I would have more fun than I do with my GCN. (not saying I dont have fun with my GCN...I love it...but I'm just making a point that the SNES has better quality games.)

This coming from the guy who was dissing all the votes for the old school charcters in the character battle...

See, because that's exactly how I feel. I like those old games and old characters so much better than the new games and new chracters. So, I associate these new chracters with the trend of gaming going downhill for me, personally. There hasn't been a greater span of gaming for me than from NES-Nintendo 64. It's all gotten progressively worse for me personally since then.

[Dyne]

Meh, as long as games are fun, I'll play them..

[Perfect Stu]

PS2 will coexist with PS3. Sony will encourage developers to continue to support the PS2 for another 5 or 6 years...and just to think about how big the PS2 userbase will be in a few years, I think that a lot of developers will still be churning out PS2 titles for years to come.

As for creativity? pssh...I look at titles like ICO, Karaoke Revolution and GTA3 and know that creativity isn't going anywhere.

[GameMaster]

My first system was NES but my 'gaming high' occured on the Sega Genesis. And I think it had more to do with the games than my age. Although age might play as a small factor. I think part of the problem is too much focus is put on achieveing new visual styles and/or better graphics. I think I would still have to choose playing an old skool, co-op, side-scrolling game over one of these new fandangled 'gems' like Prince of Persia or Metroid Prime (these are just examples, I'm not targeting either one of these games).

[DimHalo]

In my opinion, the old games are better than the new ones. But I also think that they were catered more towards my ideal style of game. The new ones cater to a different crowd. In addition, I tend to be happier playing games that use some of the same concepts of the ones I played when I was younger (nostalgia I guess). For example, I really like Wind Waker because it uses a lot of the same sounds from SNES Zelda (trivial, I know, but it works). SO, the companies should take things like that into consideration. But they also have to develop new stuff for the "kiddies" because they would not appreciate what I mentioned before.

And finally, there is no end to creativity, just an end to what people will accept.

[Typhoid]

I think that all the old games and systems are better because, yes, they were origional and new. No one had ever seen a Mario game before, Now theres about 20 collectively. Now games are repetative amongst there former selves. I think one of the only titles that has gotten better with age is Final Fantasy, though the best one was Final Fantasy 7, and even Square was short on ideas so they had to make a remake of FFX. (FFX-2 is more like Square teamed up with the makers of Charlies Angels.)
But its just that nothings new anymore, most of us have played NES, SNES, Sega, if you ask an 8 year old kid what those are he wouldnt know, But maybe in only Fairy tales where kids can have fun playing 8-bit and 16-bit games. But in a way our Nostalgic SNES views live on, with the younger kids having one of their first systems being hand-held in a GBA( or GBA-sp)

[GameMaster]

I think the general point we're all making here is that the video game industry needs to cater to it's original customers, we the children who were born in the 80's and earlier. The video game industry is what it is today because of us, not these new generation kids. But instead of tending to us, they've left us out back in the cold. I for one, feel kind of insulted. I think they owe to us to make the kind of games we love and played. I feel lost and forgotten, like an old toy.

[The Germanator]

Originally Posted by GameMaster

I think the general point we're all making here is that the video game industry needs to cater to it's original customers, we the children who were born in the 80's and earlier. The video game industry is what it is today because of us, not these new generation kids. But instead of tending to us, they've left us out back in the cold. I for one, feel kind of insulted. I think they owe to us to make the kind of games we love and played. I feel lost and forgotten, like an old toy.

That's pretty much how I've felt about the Game Boy Advance. I bought it so I could relive the glory of the 16-bit days, but not to directly relive it! If I want to play all the Marios and a Link to the Past again, I'll whip out my Super Nintendo...Basically, I would be satisfied with the GBA, if and only if I get a NEW 2D Mario and Zelda. Otherwise, it sucks. The portable factor doesn't do anything for me. Oooh, I can play Super Mario World in the car know...who cares, I'm patient enought to wait to play that game at home. So, give me my new Mario and Zelda games Shiggy! I'm waiting...

[Jonbo298]

Originally Posted by The Germanator

That's pretty much how I've felt about the Game Boy Advance. I bought it so I could relive the glory of the 16-bit days, but not to directly relive it! If I want to play all the Marios and a Link to the Past again, I'll whip out my Super Nintendo...Basically, I would be satisfied with the GBA, if and only if I get a NEW 2D Mario and Zelda. Otherwise, it sucks. The portable factor doesn't do anything for me. Oooh, I can play Super Mario World in the car know...who cares, I'm patient enought to wait to play that game at home. So, give me my new Mario and Zelda games Shiggy! I'm waiting...

You have a point there I didnt think about until now. There hasnt been a new fresh Mario or Zelda 2D game on the GBA yet as far as I know. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I cant think of any. And by Mario being fresh, I mean like 2D platforming, not RPG'ing and Golfing/Tennis'ing.