Reviews of the Future

The kind of over-excitement that drives the industry onward and upward

I essentially have a large back-log of games I own, have owned or belong to my housemate/boyfriend (depends who you talk to.) Unfortunately I suffer from a severe case of tomorrowism, that is, my excitement for the gaming future far exceeds my nostalgic loyalty to those of the past. If the popularity and growth of the industry show us anything, it is that I'm not alone in this curious obsession with the future, it's a phenomena the whole industry thrives upon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjcYqcL0v0Q

(Assassin's Creed Brotherhood trailer. Folksy song included)

It's something unique to an entertainment format that relies so heavily upon technology. Each new expansion pack, sequel, or motion capture gimmick drives the community in to fits of anticipation. However this is not literature or even cinema, which despite the resuscitation of the vampire that is 3-D hasn't changed drastically since the introduction of technicolour. Games are defined by their possibilities and their limitations, and until they can't fit any more transistors onto a microchip the balance will continue to swing in the favour of limitless potential. This potential for aesthetic improvement coupled with the almost frighteningly attentive market researchers and creative directors out there results in a medium that will always be evolving. That is not to say that classic formats have died a death and our days will be forever overshadowed by the FPS colossi or Wii Sports Resorts. On the contrary, with technological improvement comes the democratisation of expensive equipment, and thus the diligent amateur game designers free from the influence of focus groups and deadlines are given the opportunity to be truly creative. Which is precisely how Grand Theft Auto's parents Dan and Sam Houser began their wicked ways.

A Microsoftian Spartan in London

However there are as always, the cynics. These men and women who view these "improvements" as mere cold-hearted exploitation of the gullibility of the legions of consumers driven wild by first-reveal trailers, campaign previews, cinematic trailers and launch night events. It seems every big-release is a record breaker these days, with the advertising campaigns getting more pervasive and in the case of Fable III the celebrity voice talent reaching the proportions of a Hollywood blockbuster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy93LtGHyxk

(Fable Cast Trailer)

 All this bluster is distracting me from all the great games I already own, the ones I should be playing (they cost me enough) and reviewing. I've yet to review Batman: Arkham Asylum, Red Dead Redemption, GTA IV or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 and 2. All of them were huge releases and excellent games in their own right, instead I'm sat here salivating over another Assassin's Creed that has been rushed out of the developing studio so fast they haven't even finished counting the money they made from AC-2. So it would seem the cynics have a point. However I must, for the sake of my wallet, resist my wandering eye that so readily devours beautifully rendered cinematic trailer, cease and desist from hovering my mouse over amazon "pre-order" buttons and actually spend some quality intellectual time with some neglected friends.