Predictions - Game Design Theory - page 156

the hype, the games they're playing are boring, people will sim-
ply find themselves less and less attracted to the idea of playing
games at all. I know many people who love games, but because
they only know about digital games, they've essentially quit play-
ing. Many more will follow in the future.
Merger with board games . Board-game designers are years ahead
of the curve right now. When video-game designers are exposed
to the philosophies of board-game designers (either by play-
ing their games or through direct communication), those who
design video games will be unable to ignore their insights. The
non-philosophy of video-game design will be seen for the absurd
nonsense it is when this new way of looking at what games are is
shined on it.
Increased discussion . More people are engaged in discussions
about video games than ever before. Forums are alive with talk
about game design. GDC talks are available for viewing on the
Internet. New game design conventions are springing up. More
and more topics are being written on the topic of game design.
In short, we're working on the problem. The only thing holding
us back in this regard is the strong anti-progress culture that still
exists in most discussion circles. Once we realize that any serious
answers may force us to kill some of our darlings—to be a little bit
destructive—we will get past this.
There is simply no other route forward . If we don't develop a dra-
matically better understanding of what games are and how they
work, then what is the route forward? The latest thinking seems
to be that we need new hardware gimmicks: Nintendo's Wii, Mi-
crosoft's Kinect, touch screens, and several other bizarre (and ex-
tremely limited ) technologies have gotten a lot of attention. Some
even claim that 3D viewing screens are the answer, although it
should be very obvious to anyone who plays games that these
things aren't what makes a game great. Great game mechanisms
are great game mechanisms, whether played with a Wiimote or
an Atari joystick; whether on a monochromatic Game Boy screen
or a 56-inch plasma 3D television.
Are there any other serious proposals about what the future of games
should be? We can all agree that it's a good thing that more indies are
able to make games now, but simply allowing indies to experiment isn't
a clear way forward. Some have suggested that “social� games are the
future. Obviously, most games are social , and the classic examples of so-
cial game are simply exploitative compulsion engines, more akin to slot