Spector: Industry Currently In "Kind Of A Golden Age"
See Full ImagePerhaps it's all a matter of perspective. Many will say the "golden age" of gaming was a good 25-35 years ago but Warren Spector says in fact, it might be right now.
The creator of Deus Ex, Thief, System Shock, and most recently, Epic Mickey, told VideoGamer that currently, the industry is "in a great place."
"Actually, I think that this is kind of a Golden Age. I can make a Wii-exclusive game featuring Mickey Mouse. Someone else can make an all-original $100m MMO. I've got friends who are literally working alone on indie games that have no prospect of profit or commercial success. I've got guys working on iPhone games.
There are so many ways to reach an audience now, and so many platforms. There's downloadable stuff, Facebook games. Anybody who can't find a way to fit into the game business, who wants to be in the game business now, or anybody who can think of a games style for which there is no market... I mean wow, you're way more creative than I am!"
Variety is indeed the spice of life and Spector goes on to say there's "something for everyone, which means there's something for every developer to do that's meaningful for them, that will ignite their passion." Now that gaming has gone mainstream, and it's probably not hard to find the head cheerleader and the quarterback playing video games in their spare time (could be on the iPhone or Facebook, or it could be Guitar Hero), the industry is in a very different place.
We tend to focus on the cutting edge, progressive-oriented, zillion-dollar budget titles but as Spector said, there's so much more out there. Game designers really have free reign to target whomever they wish, however they wish. In that way, maybe this is a Golden Age or, at the very least, a Renaissance of sorts.
Tags: video games, golden age, warren spector
9/14/2010 10:46:17 AM Ben Dutka
Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter
Comments (20 posts)
to_far_apart
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 12:29:49 PM
I think in a sense he's speaking in both parts: profitability and, let's say for the sake of my point limitless potential.
I think the past decade or so could be crowned a so called "Golden Age" for gaming in a sense of tackling different genres and audiences around the globe. There are much more freedoms than there ever was in gaming before. I mean look at some websites that offer such content, like Facebook mentioned above or those game sites like Mini Clip and so on. I think the variety is just astounding, and really, for such variety to exist in gaming is a big plus. Gaming could be brought to everyone, everywhere. Apps, online content, social interactions, and so forth. To say "Golden Age" for gaming could provide some arguments, because everyone has there idea of a certain time where gaming rocked the world. Even now, there are some ground breaking games out on the market.
But in a sense of gaming as a whole, I think a term like "Golden Age" is justifiable. I mean, who would of thought 25-30 years ago, gaming would be as mainstream as it is today?ng kids playing there gameboys, high schoolers/college guys and a surprising amount of adults rocking out the consoles, and now even some of the old timers getting involved now on Facebook. It really is a plus for those who truly love gaming to see it being shared globally.
It has come a long way, and i think we can all agree that it's going to be an exciting future.
0 up, 0 down
Deleted User
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 11:59:18 AM
Reply
anywas i think that thers a good 5 or 6 good years left in this generation with move i think that its gonna fail i don't how but i think it will even kenect ( or how ever u spell it ) well fail to. have u all seen the early review scores they make me lol. the only games i am interested in are Heavy Rain and Socom thats about it.....
......wait what the hell i'm doing here i should be playing Halo Reach see u suxas later 360>Ps3.
Last edited by n/a on 9/14/2010 12:03:34 PM
2 up, 9 down
Temjin001
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 12:10:57 PM
10 up, 1 down
SvenMD
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 1:31:38 PM
Don't forget:
Jets < rest of the NFL
0 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 2:33:33 PM
Anyway, I will be interested to hear Ben's though on the game on his personal gaming updates because I want to see if it is just more of the same.
3 up, 1 down
BikerSaint
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 5:59:07 PM
Soooo, M$ just paid you with a copy "Halo:Reach" to astroturf your "I heart M$" comment here?
Geeez, everybody knows you should have held out for more, especially seeing how M$ is handing out keys to gold-laden Brinks bank armored truck to anyone else.
"Wada & Kotex" both say you're way too easy.
Silly Wabbit.......Trix R 4 kids.
0 up, 0 down
Temjin001
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 12:19:31 PM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
SolidFantasy
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 1:05:34 PM
Reply
And another thing: He said "There's something for everyone." Where's my AAA JRPG!?! I know square enix is capable of delivering this, but simple hasn't so far.
0 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 1:42:27 PM
Reply
I think your definition of Renaissance is better in that these new concepts are more widely available and becoming more mainstream and more accepted. I think that once the variety is echoed by a more even sales spread, then we will be abe to call it a golden age.
Peace.
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 2:30:49 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Oyashiro
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 4:04:30 PM
0 up, 0 down
Amazingskillz
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 3:23:45 PM
Reply
Anyway, "Golden Age" in some ways alludes to the future not being as good. So I have to disagree. I believe in the PS5 or PS6 will be like jacking into the Matrix. Can you imagine gaming in your sleep?!! Whoa!
0 up, 1 down
BikerSaint
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 6:15:53 PM
Reply
As good are some things are right now, it can never be the golden age now until at least a few more favorable conditions are met....
#6. Unscrupulous developers stop cutting content to make DLC
#5. Developers stop making bad ports
#4. More developers showing pride in their art, instead of just worshiping the almighty dollar
#3. Wada is fired & then exiled to the West
(the West 1/2 of the Bermuda Triangle, that is!)
#2. Kotex becomes CEO of his namesake's feminine pads
And.....
#1.......M$ dies
Only then, will everything be a Golden Age of "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy".
1 up, 0 down
GuernicaReborn
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 @ 11:43:34 AM
0 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 7:11:51 PM
Reply
Stan Lee Wants You!
September 14, 2010
Stan Lee, the creator of such great comic book heroes as Hulk, Spider-Man and Iron Man (with the help of co-creator Jack Kirby), has put out a plea through the ESA-run Video Game Voters Network for gamers to stand up for the First Amendment.
http://gamepolitics.com/2010/09/14/stan-lee-wants-you
*********************
Also, there's this URGENT PLEA from the ECA(Entertainment Consumers Association) to help in getting this word out on twitter too...
Dear Gamers,
Thank you again for speaking out about fee speech and signing the Gamer Petition.
http://action.theeca.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1781
The Entertainment Consumers Association turns in it's amicus brief this week to the Supreme Court. And we need to get every signature we can on the petition to show our strength.
The deadline to collect signatures is looming! You've already signed the petition and the outpouring of support has been amazing.
One thing we haven't done is trend on Twitter.
We're asking everyone who has an account to Tweet about the petition.
http://twitter.com/
Please head over to Twitter and post this below:
RT @theeca Sign the Gamer Petition: Stand up for your rights and protect free speech! http://bit.ly/cumONm Pls RT #gamerpetition
Every little thing you do helps raise awareness about this and gets others to join you in signing the petition.
Thanks so much again for taking action, speaking out, and signing the petition.
Thanks,
Brett Schenker, Online Advocacy Manager
Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA)
0 up, 0 down
Orvisman
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 @ 8:31:43 AM
0 up, 0 down
___________
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 @ 4:38:05 AM
Reply
the ps1 was the golden age!
maybe even the PS2 era, but more so the PS1 era.
what makes these better than todays?
simple!
those games were focused on what games need to be, FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
after all if a game is not FUN! than there is no point to the game at all!
just like the point of a car is to get us from point A to point B, the point of a game is for us to have FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN!!!!!!!!
todays games are far too heffed up on being "realistic" and because of that 90% of the time they end up being so linear and repetitive as f*ck!
now linear and repetitiveness does not a fun game make!
perfect example is GTAIV, GTA is by far the greatest franchise of all time! but they some how managed to destroy even the popularity of god!
FUN! is always why just cause 2 will be better than GTAIV, because the former is FUN! where GTAIV is repetitive and boring as bat sh*t!
tis why infamous was such a great game!
ok, it may of not had the best missions, it may of not been a technological masterpiece GTAIV was but it was so much fun to play, and the story was brilliant!
story and gameplay are the 2 most important things in any video game!
good story + good gameplay = guaranteed good game no matter how poor the technological side is!
technological masterpiece + poor story and gameplay = poor game, no matter how amazing the technological side is!
perfect example, KZ2 it was a technological masterpiece!
but the story was, well, there was no story!
and the gameplay was as repetitive as the daily news, just one story repeated again and again and again!
Last edited by ___________ on 9/15/2010 4:42:22 AM
0 up, 2 down
Hezzron
Reply
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 @ 11:54:30 AM
Anyways, if this is indeed the golden age, can I be Aquaman with the short shorts?