NEW RANT

So I was sitting at my computer reading the current news on Joystiq when it occurred to me that I am really sick of the way the industry is going. I was at first excited some years ago when the Wii was coming out. I thought that the motion controls would better emulate the arcade systems I had grown up with. Little did I know that all they would do was make it harder to play shovel-ware titles because the controls never work. I was so excited about the prospects of the Wii and at that time I hated Sony. I didn't want anything to do with Sony. I bought my Xbox 360 and was waiting to be able to find a Wii. Since that time I sold my Wii, and I sold my Xbox 360, and the only current gen home console I still own is the PS3. My g/f owns a Wii but she had that before I met her...so I won't hold it against her.

I already ranted about motion controls but this seems as good a way as any to break into the real rant. I had to start this way to emphasize I no longer have a 360 or Wii so most of the time I have to wait to try certain games. This is exactly what happened recently at a friend's house. I recently sat down and watched Limbo...or as I like to call it, A Violent Boy without His Blob, and realized that I really can't stand most indie games anymore. When indie games started popping up on the PS3 and the other systems I was so excited, due to wanting to make games all my life, but recently they have been all style and no substance. Don't give me a game and say well...what do you think it's about? That is just plain lazy. Come up with a cohesive story and explain that to me. SPOILER ALERT...or not. I don't want to sit there and think that this stupid kid was attacked by a giant spider in a forest that's chief export is bear traps and he has somehow died and the other little shadow people want him to relive this over and over.

Just because you make a game that is shadowy and to the naked eye looks like it should be super arty and super intellectual does not mean it is. I used to like art games and had a great time with Everyday Shooter and I even tried out echochrome but to me games like this are just lazy. I know it can be hard to write a story but don't just make a game function. Put some time and love into it for fuck's sake.