On The Trendiest Concepts In Game Design

Thanks to the Guardian Gamesblog for its post discussing some of the 'trendiest' concepts currently infusing the world of videogames. The author notes: "Like every other entertainment sector, the videogame industry is prone to sudden fads and fashions that seem to spring out of nowhere, take the scene by storm, and then disappear only to be replaced by more advanced technologies, or better ideas, or something really silly", before pointing out trends such as 'sandbox gameplay' ("Sandbox is the new 'non-linear' - a favourite buzzword for open-ended game design... the dole office is full of unemployed end-of-level bosses") street racing games ("All the big driving genres - arcade, rally, F1 - have been done to death, so developers, already fascinated by crime and edgy urban themes, have turned to street racing"), and 'historical accuracy' ("Once the preserve of sad PC strategy titles, history has become a major videogame theme.")

Hold on...

[sevensharpnine]

Not all trends are bad! Remember full-motion video? That sure revolutionized the game industry.

Sandbox?

[MagicDude]

Is sandbox really a good term to use for video games? Maybe it's just me, but when I think of sandboxes, I think of something that's gritty and irritating to my eyes, usually full of crap, and that after you're done playing in it you haven't accomplished anything.

GDC

[LincolnX]

The biggest buzzword at the annual Game Developers Conference this year was "Innovation".

Re:Sandbox? [flamesuit=on]

[mobby_6kl]

"Sandbox" is also often used to describe the environment in which Java (and others) run.

[quote parent] something that's gritty and irritating to my eyes, usually full of crap, and that after you're done playing in it you haven't accomplished anything.

Fits perfectly. ;)

What about....

[UCSCTek]

...the ultimate button-masher game! This is a game that rewards the player for pressing the buttons as quickly and randomly as possible. Kids will go crazy for it (ever seen one get near a piano?). Each household should have a copy of the button-masher game. Not only does it keep the kids busy mashing buttons (thus not mashing each other), but it generates zillions of RSA keys for you!