Over on his
1UP blog, CliffyB, lead designer for Gears of War, shared his thoughts about the need for original content in
games. "Do people want entirely original content?" he wonders. His answer: "The bottom line is we need
to hit from both ends." Our thoughts exactly Mr. Bleszinski!In all seriousness, creative content in the games industry is lacking because, for the most part, it doesn't sell. Sequels and clones are the rule, not the exception. Unique titles tend to alienate gamers, and while niche audiences may herald them as classics, publishers view them as failures. In time, innovative concepts may eventually trickle down into mainstream games, creating phenomena like Grand Theft Auto III—but these instances truly are the exception.
So do we want original content? Sure. But the majority of us like it in small doses, disguised as something familiar.
