Email: Some of us now want to make better games.

Well I hope others want to make better games now, but you’ve certainly inspired me.

I’ve been one of the Nintendo fans to hold out even through the N64 and Gamecube years (though I played and own other systems as well), but I realized something was special about the Wii, and your writing put to words the stuff that was going through my mind around the time. But while some just stuck by you as long as you touted Nintendo succeeding, I realized they could screw up again, as I’d seen other companies do it (especially comic book companies). Now Nintendo is certainly screwing up, and I agree it’s time to stop complaining and start making the better games, and make already good games that should be made, but the gaming industry right now is too stubborn and/or stupid to make.

Personally, I was working on pixel art a bit before I discovered your writing, and I really made me appreciate how much work has to go in even the smallest detail, while too many games these days prefer to show off how many small details they can cram into a game (as you stated in a post, it’s trying to render every blade of grass and every drop of sweat). I am also learning some programming languages, and honing other skills that can help in other ways (writing, drawing, studying history).

I honestly don’t know what the results will be, but it won’t be me trying to “express creativity”.

Finally, if others here are pledging to make better games, let Malstrom know as well (just don’t be too specific with any ideas of course). We aren’t letting gaming die.Keep the games small and simple at first so they get released. Don’t get carried away and start planning a huge MMORPG. It’s surprising how common a MMORPG is some people’s first game project.

Every single person had games under their belt before they hit it big. Miyamoto (if you consider Donkey Kong small to Mario and Zelda). Sid Meir. Richard Garriot. Notch (he made some games before he made Minecraft by himself). Will Wright (Raid on Bungling Bay before Sim City).

I think the reason why this is the pattern is because people have to get comfortable with the craft including finishing and shipping a title. Once you have experience shipping a title and putting on the shelf, it puts everything else into perspective.

Also be ambitious in the ideas, not necessarily the gameplay or engine. Sid Meir’s Civilization is such an AMBITIOUS game… but it wasn’t that complicated in terms of its game engine or even its gameplay. Notch’s Minecraft was made in simple JAVA but the game’s ideas were so ambitious. Super mario Brothers was very ambitious with its ‘go underground’, ‘go to sky’, ‘go to castle’, ‘go underwater’, ‘dodge flying fish’ type levels all in 1985. Richard Garriot’s original Ultima was ambitious from the traditional fantasy to space ships to time travel and all other crazy things he put in the game. Look how ambitious the original Final Fantasy was in its ideas. The original Legend of Zelda, considered primitive, was insanely ambitious back in the time. Even the original Mega Man, with being able to stage select at the beginning and choose your own weapon obtained from beating the stage, was ambitious.

Ambitious doesn’t necessarily mean great graphics, complicated gameplay, or complex engine. Notch turned himself into a multi millionaire based on Java programming. You can do as much. I’ve noticed gamers tend to reward games that are ambitious or, rather, have ‘a lot of spunk’. The original GTA games were extremely ambitious for a simple top down game.

I’d look at game development as a journey. You start off going in one idea and you’ll make discoveries that push you in another direction. When you are done with the game, you end up with a totally different game than what you thought you were making when you began. That is what is so much fun. I don’t think the big game companies with their multi million dollar budgets can do this anymore which might explain why their games feel so stiff, so soulless.

Everyone is rooting for you.