Speaking yesterday at the
D.I.C.E. Summit, David Jaffe wasted little time in criticizing the games industry for lacking soul, suggesting that the
absence of strong writers, directors, and actors has prevented creative growth. "It's like the porn industry...
Sort of." He confessed that some days he feels like games simply don't have the potential to be the "next
great entertainment media" because, like porn, "there's no capacity to reach high emotional levels."
Jaffe also expressed his bitterness about low wages for game creators—which likely deters a wealth of
creative-minded individuals from working in the industry.Additionally, Jaffe voiced his frustration about the industry's "obsession with cinema," pointing to King Kong and the game's lack of a HUD. "[What's] wrong with a HUD? What's wrong with a health bar that feels good to the player when he replenishes it? And why are we applauded in the press for abandoning the native language of videogames?" Jaffe added that he was embarrassed that developers continue to ape the film industry, which he confessed he was also partially guilty of doing, since Raiders of the Lost Ark was the inspiration for God of War.
