Before I start ranting away, I have to come clear -or at least attempt to; the army isn't the place for productive thinking you see, and brains do tend to rot- regarding the subject of selling games. I've got nothing against it. I, instead, fiercely believe that people creating them should be able to live off their craft, provided of course they choose to do so. There is nothing unethical in selling a game one -or a group of people- has created, though admittedly that's not the case when companies enter the equation. That's when the creative minds get exploited. This later view though, demanding a rather theoretical piece mostly on the production and exploitation of surplus value, will be wisely left for another blog post. You might as well ignore it for the time being.
Now, let me move on by reminding everyone that gaming wants to be considered an art form; an art form comparable to painting, cinema, theater, music and literature; above all a sellable art form. Gaming after all, especially mainstream gaming, is an art form that shockingly tries to justify its importance by showing everyone the huge revenue it generates, and by convincing mommies and governments they have nothing to fear from it. And herein lies the problem.
Art, the way I see it, has to be thought provoking and at times dangerous (remember the
beat generation?), and definitely doesn't have to be a commodity. Art, you see, simply cannot flourish when directed by market research and consumer needs, as these demands necessarily lead artists to self-censorship and, more often than not, banality. Art can be sold, but almost always at a cost.
Art simply does not need industry. I mean, look at the hundreds of late Picasso paintings and compare them to
Guernica. Sad, eh?
Well, things are even sadder when it gets to gaming, where market forces were powerful from the very birth of the medium and where even some
indie developers can't help but speak
for and
about the industry. As if the industry were one homogenous whole. As if
The World of Goo and the radical games of
Molleindustria have anything to do with Nintendo's
WiiFit and such militaristic offerings as
Gears of War. As if something is worth creating only to be sold. As if money is all an artist should care for. As if the sole yardstick for judging anything were its profitability.
Profitability is what companies care for and the force responsible for strangling myriads of brilliant ideas and even a few almost completed games. And believe me, it's gonna get worse. Perceived popularity and safe choices will get an even stronger grip on gaming and digital expression in general, just like they already did in cinema, literature and music.
Popularity of course, just like the need to be liked, appreciated and accepted is something most artists also crave (usually, that is). They always did so apparently and, admittedly, I think it's an almost noble cause, provided they remember they only have one obligation: be true to ones self and vision. And in the case of game creation, an artist or a group of artists, has only got to make something he/she/they would actually want to play. Something unique. Something interesting. Something with a modicum of passion. Not something that they could become rich from. And, well, if the money comes, so be it.
Just don't let the industry get it. Let the creative minds enjoy it and be freed to further provide us with quality games. Not that I wouldn't enjoy the struggling artist concept, mind. Passion and intense experiences can bring forth masterpieces all the money in the world wouldn't be able to buy. A Rimbaud of gaming would be truly amazing.
So, uhm, why don't you go read the
Scratchware Manifesto?
Related @ Gnome's Lair:
It seems that while I was moaning about boring, banal, trivial and marketing-led games, everyone's favourite Pacian proved that action is (admittedly at times) so much more important than trying to theorize; especially than trying to theorized while generally confused. Anyway, I digress. The point is Pacian released -via his (Text) Games for (Space) Crows site- the stunning piece of interactive fiction that is Walker & Silhouette, which -incidentally- you can and probably should grab from this place. It is of course a freeware offering.
