Topic: The end of fun games as we know them?

Well, just read the title.

Keep in mind, the purpose of this thread is far from trying to be depressing, it's bout the future of gaming, and what Nintendo life users think about it. Recently I read some comments on the future of gaming, and quotes from a video game journalist named Anthony Burch, (sorry if these are old, I haven't read them before).
He said: "The time has come for video gaming to move beyond a simple diversion, and become something more. Escapism isn't enough: it's about time for video games to be disturbing, depressing, timely, political, thought-provoking, and, above all, meaningful."

He also said: "In the end, the move of video games from mere escapism to that of a higher art form is not so much a necessity as it is an inevitability: even though the industry is currently in no position to allow such a thing, technology will eventually progress to the point where mainstream society won't have any choice but to stand up and take notice. It may take decades, but video games will move beyond their escapist roots. Still, though: why wait?"

Do you think any of this is true? No more platformers, puzzle games, or any fun games at all period?

This isn't meant to be depressing at all, it supposed to be a debate abot what the future of gaming holds, I made this topic because it's been bothering me lately, and I want to see what fellow NL users think.

I wouldn't worry too much. As long as people keep buying "escapist" games, the companies will keep making them.

Agreed. People can keep trying to make meaningful games, but so long as there are those who want games to be fun (which just happens to be millions of people), "fun" games will continue to exist.

Nobody ever said if a game is meaningful it isn't fun. I've played a lot of "meaningful" games that I still found to be fun. Bioshock, anyone?

No Spoilers, but...Bioshock was meaningful?

(a) 'fun' is a very relative thing; there are people out there who can and do with great gusto enjoy games that are 'disturbing, depressing, timely, political, thought-provoking, and, above all, meaningful', just as there are those who just want to play Tetris Attack and wipe the floor with a buddy. and note that there are people who love both types of games :3

(b) as he says himself, what he's talking about will take decades, and he'd be a fool to be talking about all video games -- obviously, there is a definite demand for simple puzzlers, platformers, and other light-hearted games alongside the super-serious JRPGs, the combat simulation games, and the drama/horror games, just as there's still demand for playing card games and board games even in this day and age for people to relax with. I still play solitaire to relax and drown out the events of my day sometimes, and people will still play solitaire in the future, whether in electronic format or not.

Who cares what some random dude on the internet thinks?

_{says some random dude on the internet}

If by meaningful you mean having a heavily political storyline that was basically a satire on laissez-faire government, then yes.

I must've missed that while I was blasting saving little sisters and blowing up everything that moved(or didn't move, I'm not prejudice).

Well, while I do know that people might find "meaningful" games fun, I should mention that I read these quotes in a comment where the poster also mention that we've "matured" out of fun in video games, and he added these quotes to his post. I'm just afraid that he's suggesting that these "meaningful" games in the future will be the only ones available, and games that I find fun like platformers won't be available.

for as long as nintendo is around i partially doubt that, but im not sure if i notice more games being heavily story based cuz wouldnt this have been going for as long 3D systems like n64 and ps1 have been around for if you count the message behind certain said games.

hmmmmm i think i just confused my self with this post

@Twario: remember that video games are for people of all ages, not just the adults he's saying have 'matured'. they'll always be catering to children as well as adults; there's no way they'd ever risk losing that market. kids are way too important to the video game industry. there will always be platformers and simpler games, just as there's comedies and lighthearted movies alongside the serious dramas, fun and fresh books alongside the timeless two-thousand page classics, etc. and so forth.

I doubt that those simpler games will be available in the future. We still have simple movies, simple books, and even a few simpler comic books despite those mediums supposedly maturing over time. Believe me, so long as there's demand, those games will continue to exist for many years. In fact, I don't think the industry could go on existing without them, since being made up solely of complex tales would mean there'd be no more entry games for the uninitiated. Without newcomers to the medium, video games would die slowly but surely.

EDIT: Leavin' this here, but tBD just said it all, so, yeah...

@theblackdragon & @Mickeymack
Very interesting points, now that you mention it, without these "kiddy" games to bring newcomers into gaming, gaming would eventually die. It's nice to know that the simpler games will be available. If I have kids, I'm not going to want them playing any depressing games.

Games are becoming extremely cinematic! I think that really sums the changing of video games over the last five years or so. Really it's not a bad thing. Bioshock is a perfect example of what a cinematic/ thought provoking/ engrossing/ terrifying/ etc game can do all wrapped up on one disc and is absolutely phenomenal and fun.

Playing The Sly Collection recently the first thought that crossed my mind was "They sure don't make them like this anymore", and they don't. Lighthearted platformer with a great whimsical cast of character and fantastic story that is instantly captivating and easy to sit down and play for hours on end and just have fun! Nintendo games are indeed lighthearted and fun, but the characters and story-lines just never draw me in the same as Crash Bandicoot 2-3, Sly, Ratchet and Clank, Jack and Daxter. These games are so far and few between and heck even Nintendo platformers release so rarely, its always like a special treat to us when we do get them.

This style of gaming will never die though. Indy gaming will always keep the true heart of gaming alive. Cave Story is a perfect example of this. Steam is also a great place to find the Indy greats and many find there way to the downloadable services as well. I enjoy this new style of gaming myself, but it does indeed get exhausting at times and sitting down to a great laid back platformer always hits the sweet spot for me.

Yeah...nowhere in that quote does it say that escapist = fun or anything like that. It also doesn't mean that all games have to have such a motive. Beyond that, some video games are already doing that...

If I could have anything right now, games would devolve back to the way they were in the 80s and 90s, and stay that way. Games are getting too big, too addicting, and too controversial for me; I've always looked at them as a fun little past time.

Like I said earlier, these quotes were posted in a comment where the poster was saying that gamers have "matured" out of fun, and he was posting these quotes to prove his point.

Oops, I was missing a part of that first quote. Fixed.

If skill-based pure-fun games start to disappear, then I will fall out of love with gaming. Moody and 'meaningful' is what I watch movies for.

I have faith in Nintendo to keep on giving me fun.