VIDEO: Are we drowning in way too many first person shooters?

Matt Hawkins Contributing Writer, Video Games

That what the folks at Smosh believe, and they make a convincing argument.

All right, so the following is a tad bit overreacted, and some of the jokes are duds, but it’s still worth a watch…

First off, speaking as someone who has actually designed games for a major company, I can tell you with full authority that this is how concepts are pitched. Your boss yells at you, which necessitates the coming up of an idea, right there on the spot. The key difference is, instead of the big boss being pissed about all the idea pitched being far too derivative of what’s popular, it’s usually the opposite.

In fact, if your idea didn’t instantly remind the head honcho of something already out there (that they’ve heard, but not necessarily played… because many heads of game companies never actually touch a controller), it was immediately considered rubbish. Second, that game idea about avoiding shadows is kinda neat!

Though back to the intention of the video; it’ll be interesting to see if this holiday’s crop of first person shooters are able to maintain the genre’s momentum. It could be argued that FPSs are simply the new hot thing, much like fighting games and mascot titles before it. But for a fad, it’s been around for quite a while, and shows no signs of slowing down. And I say this as someone who generally dislikes FPSs.

The real key is how it has been able to evolve over time. Remember, things actually got started in the early 90s, thanks to Doom. But now it’s all ultra-realistic militarily simulations, a la Call of Duty and the like. Which brings me to my point: I think their continued popularity might have something to do with the fact that, of all the genres of games out there, first person shooters are the most closest tied to technology.

As awesome as it might be to be some pixelated hero, in some fantasy setting (btw, I’ve just described most Nintendo games, along with Doom), what many folks gravitate towards is the real, the tangible, the familiar. Fantasy games not only allows the player to explore the absurd, but also enables the game maker to do the same, while also enabling a certain sense of leeway.

Given that 8bit blocks is open to interpretation. Unfortunately it’s a beauty in the eye of the beholder kind of deal, and many are not that keen to do all that much brainwork.

One of the main goals of video games has always been to allow the player to do things one only wishes they could in the real world. So on that end, everyone… I’m not talking just gamers here, but everyone… craves ultra realism. Because real locations, real weapons, real wars is instantly recognizable and relatable, across the board, more so than any strife in the Mushroom Kingdom I’m afraid.

Also, it’s ultimately harder to create a convincing make believe world with powerful technology, since there’s less leeway from the player’s POV. Meanwhile, recreating Afghanistan is relatively simple, since all the info is there, to be copied. Which is something technology makers jump at the chance to do.

This is purely anecdotal, but my father has always viewed video games as something silly and stupid, due to watching me control some dude in blue tights, fighting another in red tights, plus a huge pair of scissors on his head, as a kid. But now, his reaction to footage of Battlefield 3, which presents him with something he can actually understands, makes gaming all of a sudden relatable, and legitimate. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who knows someone that’s had a similar change of heart.

Point being, I believe FPS, the military kind especially, are mostly here to stay. Again, I don’t like them… in fact, most “gamers” can’t stomach them… but they’re basically for our dads, much like how those goofy Facebook games are for our moms.

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