CrazyGamer

PC is still the place to be for fans of shooters, MMOs, and strategy games. Even for RPGs. I love BioWare’s games, but The WItcher is the fresher, more fun, and more interesting game in the genre.

We’ve got Crysis, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., World in Conflict, and now Sins ofo Solar Empire. The good stuff just keeps coming. Maybe the talented developers are going to follow the money and jump to console exclusives, but it sure hasn’t happened yet. So Straighten that spine, soldier! Stop apologizing for the sorry state of PC games. The games have never, ever been better. You need to start giving those console kids games pats on the head.

I love these excuses that developers are offering for not including singlepiayer campaigns in their games. From Gas Powered Games on Demigod: “We still have this fantastic world with stories we could tell…we just don t think people want that.” How about this beauty from Ironclad Games on Sins of a Solar Empire: “We’ve banked on players preferring to create their own epics over having us provide a pre-canned one,” Note to GPG: You are telling a story. It’s just not very believable. Note to IronClad: “Banked” is the right term. The development cash you saved by eliminating the single-player campaign is probably being banked right now.

How much research did these developers conduct before concluding that gamers no longer want single-player campaigns? I’d wager that any research extended only to development budget (i.e., “it takes money and time to create a goad single-player campaign, but we’re over budget and behind schedule; therefore, gamers don’t want a single-player campaign”).

Message to developers: I’m too busy to create my own “epic story.’ I’ve just paid money for your game, so I want you to entertain me, I like playing games with stories that unfold via well-written storylines that are supported by professionally crafted CG and voice acting.

If the current trend holds, I’ll just have to climb inside a cardboard box with my computer and use my imagination. Excuse me, I think my neighbor just bought a refrigerator.