Respected game developer Warren Spector has criticized the industry’s tendency to focus on graphics and combat, stating that he’s “bored” by all the slick visuals and fancy fighting. He’d rather see more storytelling and non-hostile AI stand out from the crowd.
“I’m disappointed by the fact that we still focus solely on combat mechanics and rendering techniques, at the expense of other things we could be devoting energy and effort to,” admitsEpic Mickey‘s creative director. “We could be focusing on non-combat AI and making conversation as compelling as fighting for a change. Wouldn’t that be great? We could be focusing on making storytelling truly interactive.
“We just focus on prettier pictures and flashier graphics attached to more impressive combat scenarios, and honestly, that just bores me.”
Spector is a man with noble intentions, and it would be great to have more games like the ones he described, but here’s the problem — they very rarely sell. It’s not strictly the industry’s fault for focusing on combat and graphics. They are focusing on what the audience wants. It’s gamers that need to develop their taste, not game developers.
