Beginning of the End
What does the future hold for the anti-gaming movement? Fortunately, not much.
As a medium gets become more sophisticated [as games are], it gets harder to attack. Even if there's violence, if it's "artistic", no one will say anything.
Granted, not all games are going to be "artistic", but that's good because the number one priority is keeping the gamers happy with a wide variety of games. Not avoiding giving easily-offended non-gamers fuel for the fire. They'll find that fuel no matter what we do, so it's best to just do what we want.
There's also the issue of "controversy criteria", as it applies to games. Years ago, pretty much any form of violence in games was met with outrage. Today, it's mainly the games where you can [but really aren't supposed to] shoot depictions of police officers and innocent civilians.
See, the criteria for what the anti-gamers bitch about changes over time. It doesn't stack, and it doesn't get broader. It just changes form and gets more specific. Eventually, the "controversy criteria" will dwindle down to nothing. It has no other place to go. Does anyone bitch about Mortal Kombat any more? No. And it's just as violent as ever. It's even in 3-D now. Doesn't make a lot of sense does it?
As games become more realistic and sophisticated, the potential for complaints does grow, and we do need to take this into consideration. We shouldn't let the complaints of anti-gamers determine where the industry goes, but we should know ahead of time what kind of arguments certain games could create. That way, we can prepare to crush them all. ^_^
There will always be games that invoke the most ire. Always. In the future, GTA-style games will have the capacity to look and feel as real as the most vivid dream anyone's ever had. And there will most likely be bitching, but that's okay, because by then we'll be too strong for any of it to have an effect.
As a medium gets become more sophisticated [as games are], it gets harder to attack. Even if there's violence, if it's "artistic", no one will say anything.
Granted, not all games are going to be "artistic", but that's good because the number one priority is keeping the gamers happy with a wide variety of games. Not avoiding giving easily-offended non-gamers fuel for the fire. They'll find that fuel no matter what we do, so it's best to just do what we want.
There's also the issue of "controversy criteria", as it applies to games. Years ago, pretty much any form of violence in games was met with outrage. Today, it's mainly the games where you can [but really aren't supposed to] shoot depictions of police officers and innocent civilians.
See, the criteria for what the anti-gamers bitch about changes over time. It doesn't stack, and it doesn't get broader. It just changes form and gets more specific. Eventually, the "controversy criteria" will dwindle down to nothing. It has no other place to go. Does anyone bitch about Mortal Kombat any more? No. And it's just as violent as ever. It's even in 3-D now. Doesn't make a lot of sense does it?
As games become more realistic and sophisticated, the potential for complaints does grow, and we do need to take this into consideration. We shouldn't let the complaints of anti-gamers determine where the industry goes, but we should know ahead of time what kind of arguments certain games could create. That way, we can prepare to crush them all. ^_^
There will always be games that invoke the most ire. Always. In the future, GTA-style games will have the capacity to look and feel as real as the most vivid dream anyone's ever had. And there will most likely be bitching, but that's okay, because by then we'll be too strong for any of it to have an effect.