As time progresses, so does our console hardware technology. Our game systems are now accomplishing things many of us have never dreamed they ever could, and are giving us much greater possibilities for the future. Unfortunately though, most game developers today seem to only be concerned about making a quick buck off the pride and ignorance of the average gamer, and this powerful console hardware makes it easier than ever. Today's developers no longer need to rely on substance to sell a game because the capabilities of these systems will allow them to easily program enough unfulfilling gimmicks like "Faux 3D" and "attempted realism" to keep their pockets full for a long time to come. 32/64-bit console game hardware could have AND SHOULD have been a blessing, but based on what virtually all developers have been doing recently, it's a dreadful curse.
The first, and perhaps the most dire element that comes to mind is how "realistic" much of the gameplay SEEMINGLY has become on the majority of titles developed on our "Next Generation" systems. Astronomically popular games like Virtua Fighter and Tekken offer what appears to be very realistic martial-arts fighting action, with none of the "nonsense" of Fireballs, Magic Spells, etc... Sounds great, right? Especially to those of us who hold a true interest in Martial-Arts, eh? Well, It might be a good idea to think twice. This modern gimmick results in shallow one-dimensional gameplay, in which any button mashing novice with no dexterity has a better chance of winning than a highly skilled and intelligent veteran, which in actual reality is very UNREALISTIC.
A couple of years ago I invited a friend (who had never played before) to fight me on Tekken. Before one of the matches began, I had to scratch the edge of my nose, but by the time I was done the round was over and she had beaten me! She had never played this game before, but still beat me in less than 4 seconds by simply mashing her buttons! This truly opened my eyes - I realized that a game with so little depth couldn't possibly be worthy of a tenth of the recognition it was depriving worthy games of. However, Most players will continue to firmly stand behind these games because their gimmick is so potent. I know this all too well because I used to be taken in by them just as much as the next player, maybe even more so, but after seeing what happened on that one fateful day, I became completely enlightened. Before then, every time I played such games I just kept telling myself that I was having fun, but in truth, every time I played I just felt emptier and emptier inside, so I'm very glad it happened, or I would have fallen out of the gaming fray, which used to (and now continues to) offer more enjoyment than all but two other things in my life :-/
Being on the verge of falling out from gaming because of such unfulfilling titles made me realize that It's very easy to lie to yourself, but it takes one hell of a man (or woman :-) to accept the truth and go against the majority, no matter the cost. Strongly supported gimmicks like "attempted realism" may appear to be improving games on the surface, but they're destroying them within.
If someone has a genuine interest in any of the many forms of Martial-Arts, they should take some REAL lessons instead of playing a game that tries to mimic it. Besides, the Physical Aspect is missing in all fighting games that try to imitate reality, and that's the most important attribute of all! However, this not only applies to the attempted realism elements in fighting games, but it applies to most other games trying to imitate reality, such as all sports games. If you enjoy a sport, get out and play it - you'll get some good exercise and will undoubtedly have more fun than you would with a simulation.
One of the key reasons most people play video games is to have the chance to experience things they can't in reality (without being locked up in a padded cell at least ^_^), and if games imitate reality, then where can we seek refuge?
Unfortunately though, the blight filled gimmick of attempted realism goes far beyond a handful of fighting and sports titles. Little by little, small attempted realism elements are being added to just about all other games as well. For example; The characters in battle scenes in Final Fantasy 1 through 6 stood in a "still" state that made them look proud, strong, and confident. However, in Final Fantasy 7 the characters seem very hyper-active and fidgety - constantly running across the screen and swaying their arms and legs back and forth like they have a serious addiction to caffeine and haven't slept in months! This emphasized realism since it wouldn't be easy to stay calm and collected while fighting a giant beast, but the fact that they couldn't sit still had me tearing my hair out in a matter of seconds...
Gimmicks like attempted realism are even greatly affecting the specific genres that get released. Racing/Driving games are perhaps the most realistic of all genres, and therefore more than any other titles released in the last year have been some type of racing/driving game. I deplore this genre because the gameplay is unbelievably shallow (the gameplay consists of holding a single button down and trying to pass/avoid things by tapping left and right - this is not my idea of deep, dexterous, or intellectual entertainment...), but with personal feelings aside, even if this WAS my favorite genre, I'd get sick of it soon enough because there's such an overkill of it, and this is because companies KNOW they can make money off of it due to it's "realistic" gameplay.
The problem doesn't just lie in the gameplay either; the graphics have been rapidly becoming too realistic ever since the release of Donkey Kong Country (*Shudder*). The graphics were very well-detailed and displayed the "new" acm technology, but graphics should not be about detail, realism, or technology, they should emphasize beauty! Beauty is attained through the proper use of colors and design - Donkey Kong Country had dark, gloomy, and depressing colors throughout most of the game, and they were very well detailed, but very poorly designed. Still, the high detail and new "technology" was enough to fool virtually all gamers into believing that the game itself was great, despite it's depressing premise and astronomically shallow gameplay :-( However, I suppose Nintendo's insulting $10,000,000 advertising campaign that targeted Generation X had a lot to do with this game's success as well, but feel free to take a moment to ponder over the facts for yourself...
"Attempted realism" is but one gimmick, there are many other gimmicks that are eating away at the heart of gaming as well. Violence seems to be one of the most popular gimmicks, especially among most teen and pre-teen players. Games like Mortal Kombat and Doom have established themselves among the most popular games ever through this gimmick. Their gameplay is fairly decent, but they don't deserve a fraction of the popularity they've deprived other games like Lufia of...
Other less obvious gimmicks, such as Simplicity and the inclusion of "Trendiness" are slowly turning many games into nothing more than a cheap thrill for spoiled teenage drones. Their "Alternative music" (and I use the term "music" VERY loosely) and poorly designed trendy characters are making games too painful to bear playing. Fighting Force, "Vs", and Fighting Vipers made me feel ashamed to say that I'm a veteran player.
Tomb Raider is another perfect example of how gimmicks sell games; I'm sure there's a multitude of people out there who thoroughly enjoy it's gameplay, but 90%+ of the sales of this title seem to be solely the cause of it's appeal to perverted teens. Lara Croft's oversized breasts had more perverts drooling than I want to think about. Just visit usenet and our forums and look at how many "people" are begging for a "nude raider code" and you'll see EXACTLY what I mean. What's even worse is the fact that Eidos/Core is INTENTIONALLY marketing it to appeal to perverts - their commercials and slogan ("Tomb Raider II: Where the Boys Are") make this painfully clear.
On the subject of usenet and our forums, it might be a good idea to take a long hard look at what and how other gamers are "discussing" the world of gaming. The majority of players seem to be arguing about which game or system is better in an endless binding loop, which isn't so surprising, but if you look a little closer you'll clearly see that most players seem to only be using a system or game's gimmicks as means of support. Just about all I hear are things like "This game has tons of polygons, but that game doesn't, so it sucks..." or "The PSX has the most realistic games, so it's the best..." Have players truly forgotten the genuine qualities of gaming? Are these morbid gimmicks the only thing that matters to todays gamers?
So, what's wrong with letting the baby have his bottle - why not just let these dreadful gimmicks do their damage and then fade away? After all, there will always be a few titles that are made from the heart and not meant to only line the pockets of insulting and greedy gaming corporations, right? While it's true that there probably always will be a handful of games that have maintained their integrity, that doesn't really matter. The problem lies in knowing that worthy titles WOULD HAVE made it to U.S. consoles, but didn't because a hopeless fad took all of the spotlight and all of the average gamer's money. It's not the fact that planned games like Drakkhen III didn't make it that really bothers me though, it's the fact that I KNOW they didn't make it, and that hurts deep inside more than you'll ever realize.
Game development corporations with genuine talent continue to go out of business or hang on by a thread because their games have no room left to "shine" in the spotlight since it's completely hoarded by the greedy faceless corporations that KNOW you need nothing more than an appealing gimmick to sell a game (and possibly a heap of money to spend on degrading advertising, right Nintendo of America?)... But what can be done? Well, there's PLENTY that CAN be done, however, most people have too much pride to admit they're wrong and stop lying to themselves (I've been there), and therefore will continue to support empty titles with gimmicks like Violence and "attempted realism" by giving greedy game corporations their hard earned cash. I don't expect anyone to simply "snap" and completely change their beliefs, however, if you're strong enough to take a moment to swallow your pride and begin to look for substance rather than shallow gimmicks, the world of gaming might survive the current plague it's trying to endure...