Andrew Adam* on...
I fear for the future of video games. But should I bother? I mean, they're only games. They're not really important. A mild diversion perhaps, but not an especially important thing in today's society. But before I give up completely on games and take up fell-walking, I'd like to illustrate my point - my point of fear.
Today. A striking moment. I am stopped in my tracks. I realise no one ever learns, because no one pays attention - attention to AMIGA POWER's constructive criticism. Take, for example, Elfmania. In AP's preview, the programmers were warned that they should sort out the design because things were obviously wrong. These things were listed and discussed. Cut to the review, and Stuart Campbell's lamenting Elfmania's problems: exactly the same problems that were highlighted in the preview version.
They just didn't listen.
Returning to today's striking moment. This afternoon, I sampled a demo disc of new Playstation releases. On this disc there was a homegrown game made by someone using that Yaroze thingy, and it looked quite interesting. I tried it out and it appeared to be an obvious Alien Breed clone. I played for a few minutes, just wandering about the level. But then I came across a feature which I thought we'd seen the last of. It was a radioactive area, which slowly took away my energy as I stood bemused in its confines.
I don't want this kind of thing in my games. I'd expect it from commercial games companies too arrogant ever to take notice of any kind of criticism, especially not When All The Other Mags Gave It Over 90%. But this game was from an up-and-coming programmer working from his back bedroom.
There's the future, readers: a new generation of games producers already poisoned by the evil of shabby design. I fear.