Has our time come and gone?

As a reviewer, I try not only to capture what I feel is wrong (or right) with a game, but I also try to keep in mind the general public and provide them with information that can help them decide whether a game is right for them.

And yet more and more I find myself disconnected from the society of gamers. Oh, sure, the people here at HG are great, and the friends my age and older make for great gaming conversation, but more and more I'm finding that games seemed to be aimed at a younger crowd, and a younger generation. A generation that grew up on faster TV, not the slow paced Mr. Rogers or Lamb Chops Play Along. A generation that grew up reading more magazines and tabloids than the Odyssey or JRR Tolkein.

At 25, I'm beginning to feel the distinct break between my generation and the next one.

Actually, I've been feeling it for a few years, but never has it been clearer to me than now, when I've finally started to take reviewing seriously.

I find my eye to be very critical these days. Is it wrong for me to expect game developers to hold to such high standards? I have to believe not, since it's the release of games like Fallout 3 and Longest Journey which set those standards. I suppose it's all one can do to keep on writing, and hoping to one day become a game consultant, and maybe fix some of the problems from within the industry.

Comments 1

jiggs Nov 21, 2008

i think game developers epsecially now are trying to find ways to appeal to a much broader audience with their games hence the casual games movement but not exclusively. even with existing game franchises, one of the goal of the developers has always been to try to extend the franchises' fanbase and to do that they gotta think broad when designing their games...that fundamental hasn't really changed at all since the dawn of video games.

i wouldn't say that games these days are made for a younger generation, their appeal just got a whole lot broader. these are the same kinds of games that appeal to me like the games that appealed to me 10 years ago...the only difference is they look better and play faster(although not necessarily control better...). nothing has really drastically changed content-wise. i mean, you have Nintendo who will always appeal to the kiddy audiences. Then you have Sony and Microsoft going after the teens and young adults....nothing has really changed since the Genesis and Super Nintendo days...except games have gotten easier and have more options. oh perhaps more formulaic too.