How We Got Here - Game Design Theory - page 86

Again, I'll get into social games more later (see Chapter 4 's section,
“Skinner Boxes�), but for now what's relevant is that social games were a
major game-changer. The big console manufacturers went from having
a near monopoly on the entire world of digital games to having to take
serious inventory of their business plan. There is a very good chance that
if they don't dramatically change the way they do business, one or two
of them could be out of business within a decade. Indeed, during the
seventh generation console manufacturers started to take some steps to-
wards modernizing the way they do business by involving independent
developers and by creating online platforms, such as the Xbox Live Ar-
cade and PlayStation Network platforms.
The Alternate Reality of PC Games
I said that the big console manufacturers had a near monopoly, and the
world of PC gaming has always been an exception to that rule. Not only
does no single manufacturer have dominance over the PC hardware mar-
ket, but independent developers—who now have always been a part of
PC gaming—have an increasing amount of influence in software, largely
due to modern forms of digital distribution.
As I mentioned, the first digital games and the early years of digital
commercial games were largely home-brewed creations that were writ-
ten to disks, zipped up in plastic bags, and mailed around the country.
This independent hobbyist developer spirit has never gone away from
PC gaming: in the 1990s, Sean O'Connor's game Slay made a lot of noise,
and more recently we've had games such as Spelunky and Desktop Dun-
geons getting all kinds of attention. Software such as Game Maker and
RPG Maker have evolved and become easier to use each year, allowing
more and more people to express their game design ideas.
The culture of PC gamers has always been different—and I'd prob-
ably say better— than that of the console gamers. When I say better, I
mean that they are a bit more in touch with that which matters about
games. Why do I say this?
The health of the indie development scene is one major factor in
the culture, as it adds a bit of democracy, freedom, or just pure
life to the PC gaming world. If you're tired of buying the same old
stuff, you can always find some exotic new noncommercial mas-
terpiece on some random developer's webpage.
The more complex installation processes and input devices
(mouse and keyboard) often invited developers to have slightly
more intricate gameplay. While this is not necessarily a good
thing, it did provide more freedom for innovation.